Simmons launches Percy, its Advanced Generative AI Tool
International law firm Simmons & Simmons has launched “Percy,” an innovative, generative AI toolset to transform the firm’s operations. Named after one of the brothers who co-founded the firm in 1896 and powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, the advanced AI tool operates solely within Simmons’ internal environment, exclusively available to the firm’s employees.
With the development of Percy, lawyers and other employees at Simmons will have access to a unique tool with the unrivalled power of the GPT-4 large language model (LLM) – modified to align with the work of the firm, with added safety and security.
Following its launch, staff will be trained to use the tool to better support both client-facing and internal work – to build a strong culture of AI literacy across the firm.
Percy will assist Simmons employees with generating comprehensive responses, summarising texts, and drafting documents. The firm anticipates that, in time, the AI tool will enhance daily workflows, allowing employees to focus on more strategic or complex legal tasks, bringing greater efficiencies to the firm, and providing added value to clients.
Secured within Simmons’ system, Percy is configured with stringent safeguards to ensure third parties cannot access any information, no data processed by the system is used to train large language models, and the firm has confidence in its ability to preserve client confidentiality.
Percy is a central part of the firm’s strategy to set the standards of technology and innovation in the legal industry and become a next-generation law firm. It is also one of several advanced generative AI tools the firm is currently developing.
Commenting on the launch, Alex Brown, head of the firm’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) sector, said, “Simmons has a strong history of embracing new technology to improve its client offering. The development of Percy is a critical step for the firm that will enable us to take our commitment to innovation to the next level. Meticulously designed, secure and tailored for our work, our internal generative AI tool will support employees, streamline our internal operations and enhance our level of client service.”
Drew Winlaw, partner and Global Large Language Model (LLM) Lead, commented: “Percy is both a tool with utility for our people, as well as an educational tool to raise awareness about the workings of generative AI technologies. This understanding is necessary for us to plan our future as a next-generation law firm.”
About Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons is an international law firm that acts like your business partner. Founded in 1896 by twins Edward and Percy Simmons, the firm has never stopped learning, growing, and adapting. They focus on four highly regulated sectors – using specialist skills to understand your business and the forces at play around it.
