Holding Redlich

Holding Redlich, a mid-market Australian law firm operating across a national practice, faced mounting pressure to accelerate document production without compromising the precision and consistency that legal work demands. Lawyers routinely shifted between multiple systems — internal precedent libraries, LexisNexis research databases, iManage, SharePoint, and Google Drive — to locate relevant clauses, case law, and templates while drafting. This context-switching added friction to every matter, introduced inconsistency in language and structure, and created compliance risk when practitioners relied on memory rather than verified precedents. The cumulative cost was slower turnaround, higher effort per document, and variable quality across the firm's national offices.

Holding Redlich deployed Lexis Create+ across its national practice, embedding AI-powered drafting directly inside Microsoft Word within the firm's existing Microsoft 365 environment. The platform uses large language models and generative AI to unify access to LexisNexis legal research content, internal precedent repositories, iManage, SharePoint, and Google Drive within a single drafting interface. Its generative AI assistant, Protégé, enables lawyers to refine drafts, surface relevant clauses and precedents, and strengthen legal arguments without leaving the document. LexisNexis leveraged capabilities from its acquisition of Henchman to extend clause management, proofreading, and collaborative drafting features. Data security is enforced through encryption, permission mirroring, and access controls aligned with legal confidentiality requirements. Rollout followed a staged approach: power users were onboarded first to build internal champions, followed by firm-wide training focused on precision prompting and rigorous fact-checking.

Embedding Lexis Create+ into the drafting workflow measurably increased the pace of document preparation across Holding Redlich's national practice. Keren Smith, Chief Knowledge Officer, confirmed that accuracy and professional oversight were maintained alongside the efficiency gains. Key outcomes include:

• Faster document turnaround: AI-assisted drafting reduced time spent locating and adapting language from precedents and case law.
• Reduced context-switching: Lawyers access internal repositories and LexisNexis content without leaving Microsoft Word.
• Improved consistency: Standardised clause integration across matters and offices reduced variability in document quality.
• Stronger client service delivery: Smith cited improved quality of work product as a direct outcome of the platform's adoption.

• Stage AI rollouts through internal champions: Onboarding power users first generates advocates who can support firm-wide adoption and surface edge cases before broad rollout.
• Reduce friction by meeting lawyers where they work: Embedding AI inside Microsoft Word — rather than requiring a separate tool — was central to uptake across the national practice.
• Train on prompting discipline, not just the tool: Firm-wide training focused explicitly on precision prompting and fact-checking, treating these as professional skills rather than optional features.
• Security and compliance must be designed in from the start: Encryption, permission mirroring, and access controls are non-negotiable in legal environments where confidentiality obligations are absolute.
• AI augments judgment; it does not replace it: The firm's position is explicit — technology accelerates drafting, but professional oversight remains the firm's core standard.