Recommind Technology Powers Worldwide Enterprise Search And Expertise Location For Watson, Farley & Williams

Recommind, the leading provider of search and automated categorisation systems, has announced that Watson, Farley & Williams LLP, a leading international law firm headquartered in London, has selected Recommind’s flagship MindServer platform to deliver worldwide enterprise search and expertise location across internal systems and databases as well as external resources.  The MindServer platform will enable Watson, Farley & Williams’ (WFW) lawyers to identify, retrieve and share information from internal and external sources across its offices throughout Europe, North America and Asia.

In a joint project between the firm’s IT and Information & Research departments, the MindServer platform integrates WFW’s document management system, eFiles, knowledge database and numerous other internal databases along with PLC (Practical Law Company) resources and tools. This will allow users to search from a single interface, displaying both internal and external results on one page and filtering the results accordingly.   In addition, Recommind’s expertise location module – Matters & Expertise™ – allows WFW to similarly integrate information from business development databases, time and billing systems, and document management systems.  The integrated MindServer platform thus enables users to carry out a single, comprehensive search to identify internal experts, as well as relevant documents and matters by providing a seamless link between all of these resources. 

"After looking at several products, we decided to proceed with a proof of concept exercise with Recommind.  The MindServer platform quickly satisfied us that it could work well with our data,” said Richard Latham, IT Manager at WFW.  “MindServer will assist us in providing our lawyers with simplified access to both our internal and external resources across our many international offices."

Recommind’s MindServer platform is a comprehensive software suite that integrates an enterprise’s numerous applications and information repositories, enabling fast, easy access to relevant information.  The platform substantially reduces the time and costs involved in conducting legal research, while improving the quality of work delivered to the end client.  Using patented search technology, MindServer dramatically improves access to a wide variety of information across large, distributed organisations and returns results in context for more accurate understanding and ‘actionability’ of the information.  Recommind’s enterprise search technology specifically utilises powerful concept-based search capabilities to connect relevant information in document management, records management, portal and e-mail systems and myriad other applications and databases with the users that need it.  Its Matters & Expertise tool provides a comprehensive, firm-wide view of all data and the vast array of expertise within the firm by tapping into a variety of information sources such as time and billing systems, CRM applications, intranets, internal firm databases and other information repositories.

“The proof of concept was tested by a wide range of users in the firm and the feedback was positive,” said Vola Walker, Head of Information & Research at WFW.  “In particular, users found MindServer to be intuitive and they were enthusiastic about the enhanced search functionality it provided.” 

“In today’s data-driven world, organisations can no longer rely on the lottery of keyword-based search to find relevant information,” said Simon Price, UK Director of Recommind.  “Instead, they need a solution that is powerful and highly accurate to quickly provide them with results that are 100% relevant to the search query.  Increasingly, this extends beyond document access to being able to search across human expertise as well.  Expertise location technology is becoming increasingly important for firms such as Watson, Farley & Williams - with lawyers often out in the field on assignment, it is crucial to identify and share knowledge and maintain strong communication among the firm’s workforce.  It is refreshing to work with a company like Watson, Farley & Williams that continues to push the envelope in order to provide its clients with the best possible service.”

About Watson, Farley & Williams
Watson, Farley & Williams is an international law firm with offices in London, New York, Paris, Rome, Athens, Piraeus, Hamburg, Singapore and Bangkok. The firm currently has 200 lawyers and over 350 staff. Watson, Farley & Williams focuses on three key sectors where it is recognised for its specialist knowledge and expertise; Maritime, Energy and Finance & Investment. The firm advises on international finance, corporate and commercial matters, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, taxation, dispute resolution and real estate law. The legal teams advise on English, German, French, Greek, Italian, Russian, New York, US federal and Thai law and maintain active relationships with leading law firms in many countries.
WFW has five Groups: Shipping Finance, Project and Structured Finance, Corporate Finance, Tax and International Litigation.

About Recommind
Recommind’s enterprise search and categorization platform automatically organizes, manages, and distributes large volumes of information from multiple sources. With faster access to the right information, organizations can save time, enhance the quality of work product, increase the value of information assets, and improve competitiveness and profits. Recommind customers include Bertelsmann, BMW, Cleary Gottlieb, Davies Arnold Cooper, Novartis, Lewis Silkin, Shearman & Sterling and the Australian Government.  Recommind is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, London, and Bonn, Germany.

For more information, email info@recommind.com, or go to www.recommind.com.