Jan 26, 2016
Innovative startups will have access to big firm legal feedback and resources thanks to a new partnership between Osler and the Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ) at Ryerson University in Toronto.
Osler’s sponsorship recognizes the firm as a founding partner of LIZ, Canada’s first legal incubator, and will support the innovative startups at LIZ and the leading-edge solutions they are developing. LIZ is a place for entrepreneurs, lawyers, students, tech experts, government members and industry leaders to drive innovation.
Osler’s Chief Knowledge Officer, Mara Nickerson, told Canadian Lawyer the partnership began when she met with Chris Bentley, the executive director of the LIZ, and Hersh Perlis, director: “We’re trying lots of different technologies and different things these days and you never know where things are going to come from. I thought it all fit with what we were trying to do in terms of encouraging innovation internally, so we decided it was a good fit and we would sponsor them.”
There are currently 13 startup companies working out of the LIZ. Osler will be working with the LIZ on several unique initiatives this year, the first of which is a hackathon with Osler Lawyers, clients and other industry participants exploring ways in which “big law” could be done different to create greater client value.
You can learn more about the partnership in Jennifer Brown’s article in Canadian Lawyer, “Osler partners with Ryerson’s Legal Innovation Zone”.
Drew Hasselback also wrote about the partnership in the Financial Post, “Osler announces partnership with Ryerson’s Legal Innovation Zone and other legal moves and grooves”.
For more information, please see our press release.