Linklaters becomes the first Magic Circle member of FLIP

The Singapore Academy of Law's Future Law Innovation Programme

Global law firm Linklaters is proud to announce that they are the first Magic Circle law firm to become fully-fledged members of the Singapore Academy of Law’s Future Law Innovation Programme (FLIP). The membership reiterates the firm’s commitment to innovation in the legal sector.

Linklaters has been a keen supporter of the programme since its early stages, working closely with the FLIP team to provide insight and guidance throughout its ideation stages and development.

FLIP aims to bring together industry players with a genuine interest in shaping the legal sector, in order to strengthen an innovation-driven ecosystem where change can thrive. The Singapore-based initiative will connect law firms, legal and tech start-ups, regulators, academics and venture capitalists through the FLIP network.

23 entities are currently participating in FLIP, comprising of nine small and medium-sized law firms, three large law firms, two corporate counsel and nine legal tech companies. These participants are undergoing programmes with FLIP to modernise their practice and build capacity for innovation, as well as explore new ways of delivering legal services (for example, looking at new revenue streams, new business models and new legal solutions). FLIP hopes to recruit around ten more participating organisations into the programme by early August 2018.

Sophie Mathur, partner at Linklaters Singapore and one of the firm’s Global co-Heads of Innovation, is a FLIP steering committee member as well as a FLIP Accelerator board member. Mathur said:

“Innovation cannot happen in isolation. Key to its progress is the nurturing of a community that works collaboratively. When people and teams work in silos to solve problems, the solutions found often falter once they are applied in a wider context. FLIP offers an ecosystem where innovation in the legal industry can truly thrive.

As a firm which is deeply invested in exploring innovation within the legal sector, we have collaborated closely with the FLIP team in their journey and are proud to become fully-fledged members and continue our support. I personally am very excited to see what innovation develops across the Singapore legal industry from this great initiative.”

Mr Paul Neo, creator of FLIP and Chief Operating Officer of the Singapore Academy of Law, said:

“we know that there is no escaping the growing demands required from the legal industry in this fast-changing digital world, and we want to ensure that innovators have the support and the environment they need in order to develop their solutions. Along with Linklaters’ partnership, we are looking forward to building our member-base with like-minded, forward thinking industry players so that we can facilitate the collaboration needed to effect lasting change.”