A Brighton law firm representing a US software company in a 拢14.75m claim against Metro Bank says technology is levelling the playing field between smaller practices and industry giants.
Software provider Arkeyo LLC is suing the high street lender over allegations it breached copyright and licensing agreements linked to coin counting machines used in branches.
Helix Law, a single-office firm which leans heavily on legal technology, is acting for Arkeyo, while Metro Bank has instructed heavyweight firm Eversheds Sutherland.聽
The case is set to reach the High Court on 17 September.
鈥淏y breaching their agreement with our client, Metro Bank has not only caused financial damage, but severely damaged its own reputation and trust among its customers,鈥� said Alex Cook, partner at Helix Law.
鈥淢ore widely, we see this as a David and Goliath moment for our industry. Taking on a major retail bank on behalf of a much smaller client shows what is possible when you combine legal expertise with the latest technology.鈥�
The lawsuit stems from a long-running dispute between the two companies, who worked together between 2010 and 2016.聽
Arkeyo claims its technology, used in Metro Bank鈥檚 so-called 鈥楳agic Money Machines鈥�, was later replicated without permission, infringing trade secrets.
Helix Law says its use of AI and other tools has dramatically reduced case costs, with disclosure being brought down to 拢100,000, far below the 拢557,000 estimated by Metro Bank鈥檚 legal team.
Cook explained: 鈥淭he cost savings are game-changing.
鈥淚n this case they have enabled a small software company to continue its fight against a much larger giant.
鈥淎s an independent firm ourselves, we understand how challenging access to this type of justice can be.鈥�
Helix estimates its approach typically delivers savings of up to 60% on comparable cases by deploying specialist legal AI tools, which it argues larger firms have been slow to adopt.聽
Cook continued: 鈥淒uring our disclosure review process we identified deficiencies in Metro Bank鈥檚 submissions, which will be addressed at the High Court later this year.聽
鈥淲ithout our cutting-edge software, or a huge legal team, this might have gone unnoticed.
鈥淔reeing up our lawyers鈥� time not only saves clients money, but it enables our experts to pay attention to details that really matter.
鈥淟arger firms have been slow to adapt because of the impact it could have on their billing models, but change is coming, and smaller firms are at the forefront of it.鈥�
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