How Womble Bond Dickinson incorporates Draftwise into its AI-powered knowledge management strategy

Opportunity: Unlocking Institutional Knowledge at Scale

Attorneys in “Big Law” face a common challenge: efficiently accessing institutional knowledge when drafting contracts. Searching the document management system (DMS), first for the relevant template or document, then for a specific clause, takes valuable time. And when multiple contracts require the same process repeated dozens of times over, that time adds up quickly.

As Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer (“CKIO”), Bill Koch focuses on ensuring Womble Bond Dickinson’s transactional attorneys have easy access to deal data and legal precedents. He discovered Draftwise through conversations with industry peers and led the firm in adopting the platform in mid-2022. It was pre-ChatGPT and well before the generative AI boom.

“I brought a group of attorneys together, and everyone immediately saw the value. We signed on as one of Draftwise’s earliest customers, and we’ve stuck with it ever since. Even in the early days, it was a powerful way to access and apply our institutional knowledge right in the drafting process.”
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Solution: Transforming How Attorneys Work with Firm Knowledge 

Initially, the partnership focused on a key platform capability: allowing attorneys to search institutional knowledge and find specific clauses instantaneously without leaving Microsoft Word.

Added Koch, “It was about making our institutional knowledge more accessible to our transactional attorneys drafting contracts all day. They don’t need to bounce out of Word, run a DMS search, look for language there, find a template, insert it, and copy-paste. It simplified all that… it turned a roughly 10-minute endeavor into a 60-second search.” 

Beyond surfacing relevant clauses and deal matters, Draftwise allows attorneys to review contracts more effectively. One partner describes Draftwise as his “second set of eyes” on agreements. “It's the ability to look through an 80-page document in a few minutes and pull out inconsistencies,” that uplevels him and his team. 

The firm recently adopted Draftwise’s AI-powered analysis and playbook capabilities with workflows designed to drive better client outcomes and relieve the constraints on Womble attorneys. Bill Koch has plans to roll out these platform features to most of the firm later this year. 

As Draftwise continues to iterate on the platform and deliver focused AI tools for transactional lawyers, Koch is confident that partnering with Draftwise will keep the firm ahead of the AI curve: "I don't have to worry about not keeping pace with innovation with Draftwise as a partner.” 

Impact: Technology That Drives Efficiency 

Koch prioritizes technology solutions that deliver impact to the firm and its clients. With Draftwise, Womble attorneys who regularly use the platform can see its impact first-hand. 

Efficiency Gains | Womble quickly benefited from the Draftwise platform

“Our attorneys are absolutely more optimized when they use Draftwise. It’s about the entire search experience - how manual and time-consuming it used to be, and how much easier it is now with Draftwise. You can quickly zero in on exactly what you need—down to specific words within a clause—and compare alternatives. There’s no question it’s improved both our productivity and our capabilities.”

The impact of Draftwise was clear to Womble attorneys, as it directly:

• Reduced a single search from approximately 10 minutes to 60 seconds
• Created space for attorneys to approach negotiations more creatively
• Maintained consistent quality of client deliverables while improving value

Strategic Alignment | Draftwise perfectly aligns with Womble's innovation philosophy

"We look for problems to attack, and then we bring in the tools that can help us attack that problem." – Bill Koch, CKIO, Womble Bond Dickinson (US).

The targeted nature of Draftwise—solving specific pain points rather than being technology in search of a problem—makes the platform an ideal fit for the firm. Koch appreciates Draftwise’s clear mission and vision of developing technology to solve the real problems attorneys face in their daily contract drafting and review work. 

Collaborative Development | Womble’s attorney feedback shapes the Draftwise platform

As an early adopter, Womble collaborated directly with Draftwise's development team.  A cohort of corporate attorneys provided critical feedback on designing new features and ensuring the platform was built around real contract workflows. This partnership continues today, with growth-minded members of Womble's transactional team maintaining direct access to Draftwise leadership for ongoing product development. This ongoing collaboration benefits all Draftwise customers as the platform evolves based on real-world attorney needs.

Future Vision

Draftwise has quickly become a strategic partner and vital part of Womble's technology vision. The partnership continues to evolve as both organizations navigate the rapidly changing AI landscape. And with Draftwise, Womble’s knowledge management leaders are confident that the firm’s innovation strategy will continue to deliver for clients. 

Koch emphasized the value of having a focused solution that evolves alongside AI advancements: 

“It’s invaluable to have a partner, like Draftwise, that evolves alongside you as AI technology continues to change.”

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About Womble Bond Dickinson 

Womble Bond Dickinson is a full-service law firm with 37 offices in key financial markets and industry hubs throughout the U.S. and the U.K. With more than 1,300 lawyers from different legal and commercial backgrounds, Womble offers a "point of view like no other".

Visit womblebondickinson.com to browse a complete list of Womble's practices and locations. 

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