Fredrikson & Byron Deploys AI-Powered Intapp Pricing to Improve Estimates, Manage Budgets, and Monitor Matters

Selecting an AI-Powered Pricing Solution

In 2018, Fredrikson launched an AI effort focused on mapping and creating clean metadata, working with a third-party vendor. “We couldn’t just keep preparing rough estimates without validated trends, and we needed to reduce the time our lawyers were spending putting estimates together,” said Norah Olson Bluvshtein, Chief Practice Management Officer at Fredrikson. “Building an AI model addressed both of those issues.” 

Ultimately, the AI model they were trying to implement proved difficult to scale. “What we really had was a bridge solution,” said Chambers. “It was great for what it was designed for, but we were only able to complete three projects during the course of a year and a half.”

Although the initiative did initially provide results, Fredrikson wasn’t receiving the level of partnership required to succeed. “We needed a partner that was in it for the long haul and could help us build stable and scalable capabilities quickly,” said Olson Bluvshtein. “When we found out about Intapp Pricing and Engagement DNA, we quickly realized that this was the only tool out there that was heading in the same direction we were.”

Partnering with Intapp for a Purpose-Built Solution

With concerns looming about the long-term viability of the home-grown AI bridge solution, Intapp came into the picture with a timely solution. “Being part of the early adopter program was a huge bonus because we had direct access to the Intapp product team,” said Chambers. “We were able to surface what was important, and influence how things progressed.”

In the initial phase of the engagement, Fredrikson focused on data mapping, cleanup, and coding while Intapp developed the matter proximity and search capabilities in Intapp Pricing. In subsequent phases, the Fredrikson and Intapp data science and engineering teams collaborated on a process to classify matter narratives into phases, tasks, and activities, resulting in comprehensive training models for the business litigation, energy regulatory, and M&A practices that were incorporated into Fredrikson’s pricing application. “It was a fortuitous moment when Intapp could build upon the AI work we had already done, taking it and running with it — with us and for us,” said Olson Bluvshtein.

Ultimately, the solution yielded significant improvements. “Using Engagement DNA, we can continuously refresh and improve the quality of the data to make building estimates easier, faster, and more reliable,” said Chambers. “In fact, we’re able to confidently provide an estimate typically within a couple of hours — sometimes within 30 minutes, depending on our workload — and, at most, overnight.”

Lawyers participating in the firm’s pilot program similarly reported positive experiences with the software. “It was the reliability and ease of use that was most helpful to me and others; we could quote with confidence both quickly and accurately,” said Brusven. “The solution also includes a reporting system that alerts us when fees are approaching budget thresholds, so we’re able to maintain a consistent communications cadence — which makes clients happy and lawyers’ lives easier.”

Moving Forward on Enhanced Client Value

When the pandemic landed during the firm’s first user pilot, the importance of tracking and monitoring moved to the forefront. “We were able to show we could track budgets to actuals,” said Chambers. “This capability — on top of our ability to turn around estimates faster and more accurately — became a compelling selling point for our internal stakeholders.”

Chambers is working with the Intapp team to tailor the Intapp Pricing user interface to make it easier for the lawyers and partners to use the solution. “The ability for the lawyers to pull data together for a report — for times when they’re meeting with a client and know that they’ll be talking about where they stand on budget and matter activity — is highly valuable,” said Chambers. “When they’re talking with clients, they need these insights at the ready to deliver on client experience and value.”

The firm is also moving forward on analytics and reporting capabilities, which have been particularly useful during the pandemic because so many clients face pressure to reduce budgets. “Using the solution, I can figure out how to cut a budget by modeling rate reduction scenarios and other factors,” said Brusven. “Because we’re agile enough to respond quickly and reasonably to these requests, we not only make clients look good to stakeholders in their organizations, but also stand out among competitors with respect to client-value delivery.”