Cygnus

Cygnus: A Regional Law Firm Advancing with Jurimesh

On July 25, 2024, we spoke with Jan-Willem Vanhoutte, a lawyer at the West Flanders law firm Cygnus. Specializing in real estate and liability law, Jan-Willem is part of a multidisciplinary team that provides high-quality legal advice to entrepreneurs in the region. What sets Cygnus apart from other law firms is their unique combination of regional roots and broad service offerings.

Regional Roots, Broad Vision

Cygnus is not just any law firm. They are deeply embedded in the West Flanders community and understand local needs and challenges like no other. "We are a regionally anchored firm with a multidisciplinary team of colleagues who provide high-quality legal advice to anyone engaged in business," says Jan-Willem. This regional focus, combined with their broad expertise, makes them an indispensable partner for local businesses.

Digital Transformation: A Crucial Step

The legal world is changing rapidly, and Cygnus is at the forefront of this transformation. They strive to work as digitally as possible and have already taken several steps toward a fully digitalized office. "We already use digital document management, electronic signatures, internal online communication, a virtual remote work environment, and AI tools to facilitate document searching and contract drafting," says Jan-Willem. These tools help make their work more efficient and enhance client service.

Challenges in Knowledge Management

Despite their digital progress, challenges remain, particularly in knowledge management and sharing. Information is often scattered across different systems such as Google Drive and their current document management system (DMS), making it difficult to find the right information quickly. "Searching our current DMS is outdated. At this point, knowing where something might be located (in libraries) is the first step," explains Jan-Willem. This fragmentation of knowledge not only leads to wasted time but also hinders seamless collaboration within the team.

One of the biggest hurdles is the speed and efficiency with which knowledge can be shared among colleagues. New lawyers joining the firm must undergo extensive information sessions to navigate the various knowledge repositories. "An information session is required on how to find knowledge. Unfortunately, this is still necessary due to the lack of a comprehensive and understandable solution," says Jan-Willem.

Jurimesh as a Game Changer

With these challenges in mind, Cygnus decided to use Jurimesh—an innovative AI search tool designed to streamline knowledge management and sharing. Jurimesh provides a solution to one of the firm’s biggest problems: efficiently searching their extensive knowledge database. "Jurimesh helps us search for knowledge easily," says Jan-Willem. He emphasizes that while the tool already delivers significant time savings, the ideal situation would be if Jurimesh could be directly integrated with their legal software. "What would be even better is if the Jurimesh tool were embedded in our legal software or directly linked to our database since all the knowledge being searched now has to be uploaded separately."

According to Bram Baert, a partner at Cygnus, the firm will soon transition to a new case management system, where all documents will be centrally collected. This would eliminate the need to work across multiple platforms, marking a first step toward optimizing the firm’s workflow.

Starting in September 2024, Jurimesh will begin integrating into Cygnus’s new case management system, which will centrally manage all their documents. This means the firm’s entire documentation will soon be searchable via Jurimesh, further increasing efficiency.

Efficiency and Future Growth

The initial results of using Jurimesh are promising. "We see that the intelligent search function of the software already delivers significant time savings in finding the necessary documents and information," notes Jan-Willem. This time savings allows the team to focus more on strategically important tasks, contributing to the overall efficiency and quality of their services. As they become more familiar with the software and optimize its functionalities, the firm expects these benefits to grow even further.

But Cygnus’s ambitions go beyond this. They foresee a future where the legal sector continues to digitize, with increasing use of AI, blockchain technology, and virtual courts. "We foresee a further and far-reaching digitization of the profession," says Jan-Willem. He anticipates that AI and machine learning will be increasingly used for tasks such as legal research, contract analysis, and document management, allowing lawyers to focus on more complex and strategic matters.

Additionally, Jan-Willem sees potential for blockchain technology to manage contracts, property deeds, and other legal documents, providing greater transparency and security. Cygnus is also closely monitoring the rise of virtual hearings and online dispute resolution, as these innovations have the potential to reduce court backlogs and speed up legal proceedings.

Progressive and Innovative

At Cygnus, they are determined to continue playing a leading role in the legal sector. By actively investing in technologies like Jurimesh and closely following industry developments, they ensure they always stay ahead. "At Cygnus, we are keeping a close eye on this, and our goal is to be among the first to embrace digital evolutions that positively contribute to the smooth operation of modern legal practice," concludes Jan-Willem.

With the help of Jurimesh, Cygnus is not only ready for the future but also committed to further improving the efficiency and quality of their legal services. The firm looks forward to further integrating these innovative solutions and strengthening its position as one of the most progressive law firms in the region.