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This is an extraordinary narrative of a renowned legal tech firm – Legal Interact, which has been building technology solutions for the legal community under the hegemony of business leader and industry veteran, Raphael Segal. Legal Interact is renowned for designing technological solutions for practicing attorneys in legal practices, internal legal teams, and operational professionals handling contract administration for over four decades with a team of 80 expert professionals in several specialized fields.
Raphael Segal embarked on his journey with Legal Interact in 2006 as a Business Director, assuming responsibility for the business and its efforts to expand beyond South Africa’s borders. Since then, there has been no looking back as he spearheaded the firm’s rapid and aggressive expansion, establishing it as one of the most prominent legal tech companies.
For this exceptional story, we sat down for a freewheeling conversation with the leading man and learned some insightful business lessons and “food for thought,” which speaks strongly about his remarkable glory.
The Man at the Helm
Raphael Segal, Director of Legal Interact, is a seasoned professional with exceptional skills in software development, operations management, business intelligence, and business process re-engineering. Raphael has an impressive history of success in the computer software industry. He is a veteran professional who excels as a business leader, changemaker, and inventor.
Raphael completed his graduation from Wits Tech in software development. A turning point in his programming career came when he switched from Cobol’s procedural green screen to Visual Basic 3’s event-driven graphical user interface in 1991. To him, this change felt revolutionary, like the move from silent to sound-assisted movies.
The dynamic leader also co-founded eBAM Systems, which provides CRM and sales strategies to the automotive industry. Once launched, eBAM Systems joined hands with BMW South Africa, BMW Dubai, and other BMW dealerships in the Middle East to provide them with CRM and sales strategies. Even now, all VW and Audi South Africa stores in Southern Africa use eBAM Systems as their principal sales and marketing platform. He commenced a new path in 2006 when he joined Legal Interact.
Driven by Purpose, Inspired by Innovation
The inspiring leader, Raphael Segal, has always been driven by purpose, and he holds an innovative thought process that technology can be used to level the playing field on a continent like Africa and particularly in a country like South Africa where there is such a huge socioeconomic divide. Sharing his insights, Raphael asserted, “As we stand at the intersection of progress and disparity, it becomes imperative to explore innovative solutions that can bridge the gap and ensure that the promises of democracy are realized for all South Africans. The transformative potential of technology is one of the most promising paths for progress. The digital world has expanded significantly in recent years, and technology is now a necessary and fundamental component of our everyday lives. The fact that South Africans are generally happy people can be used to propel change, especially in the still-narrowing socioeconomic divide. Being involved in the building process of something like that excites me every day.”
Staying at the Forefront of Innovation: Raphael’s Take
Satya Nadealla said best “Our industry does not respect tradition. What it respects is innovation.” Raphael explains that his goal is to keep abreast of the industry, not only for legal professionals but for all businesses. The team working on development stays abreast of current trends and consistently aims to be inventive and ahead of the curve through ongoing research and engagement with partners and clients.
“We have deeply integrated AI technology into some of our products, namely, Contract Corridor and the AI Lawyer,” says Raphael. “We also believe that AI will be a great enabler of our time. This is the reason why we invested in an AI lab: aside from working with and advising customers on AI in general and its integration into our businesses in particular, we aim to continuously design and develop innovative tech solutions.”
Overcoming Industry Hurdles Like a Pro!
The following are some trends and issues facing the legal tech sector:
- Automation and AI Integration: Legal procedures, document reviews, and research are increasingly being streamlined through the use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI).
- Data Security and Privacy: With the digitization of legal processes, the industry faces challenges related to the security and privacy of sensitive legal information.
- Regulatory Compliance: Legal tech companies must be up-to-date on changing legal rules, particularly regarding cybersecurity and data protection.
- User Experience and Adoption: They ensure that legal tech solutions are user-friendly. These solutions are easy to adopt by legal professionals who may not be tech-savvy.
- Ethical Considerations in AI: Addressing ethical concerns related to the use of AI in legal processes, such as bias in algorithms and the potential impact on job roles in the legal profession.
Legal Interact is tackling these problems through:
- Innovation and Product Development: The team actively invests in research and development to create innovative solutions through our AI Lab—product proof points are the AI Lawyer and Contract Corridor—that address the evolving needs of legal professionals.
- Cybersecurity Measures: Strong cybersecurity measures should be implemented to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of client contracts and legal data.
- User Training and Support: They offer complete support and training to ensure clients can adopt the technological solutions smoothly.
- Regulatory Compliance Monitoring: They stay updated with the legal and regulatory changes to ensure that the solutions comply with the latest standards by ensuring they have the right people within the teams to deliver on these.
- Ethical AI Practices: They implement ethical AI practices in all their tech solutions.
Planning for a Growing Future
The socioeconomic challenges facing South Africa have shed light on fears related to access to justice, including but not limited to gender-based violence, labor protection rights, and severe impediments to justice. Their goal is for artificial intelligence (AI) to be the great facilitator, enabling people without legal expertise to make informed decisions regardless of their socioeconomic status and enabling the development of an AI-powered Access to Justice platform that offers current legal advice based on reliable data at any time, anywhere.
Their goal is to arm the people of South Africa with the technology essential to getting the legal guidance they need. “I want to see Legal Interact at the forefront of the technology industry in South Africa and eventually the African continent,” Raphael Segal stated.
Legal Interact’s AI lawyer is a state-of-the-art AI-powered legal solution created to make legal knowledge and justice easily accessible to regular people. This ground-breaking bot provides precise, current legal information and guidance in real-time via the most popular social media network in South Africa, WhatsApp, by utilizing artificial intelligence
This means that every citizen, regardless of location, can access legal information and advice. This is game-changing not just because it cultivates a more knowledgeable and inclusive populace but also because it demonstrates how technology can be used to make legal services easily accessible and reasonably priced for regular people. This will revolutionize the way South Africans interact with the legal system.
Suggestions for Younger Self
Raphael suggests aspiring individuals aiming for success in the industry develop a robust client-centric foundation.
He emphasizes that a deep understanding and appreciation for the law are crucial to creating technology solutions that address real legal challenges. Additionally, he encourages them to be tech-savvy, identify pain points, stay informed about the latest developments, prioritize the user experience in their tech solutions, understand the end-users, lawyers, legal teams, or any other businessperson, and design intuitive products that address their specific needs, foster collaboration between legal and tech professionals, and approach challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset.
In the wise words of an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This timeless wisdom underscores the paramount importance of forging a cohesive professional team.
It is in the strength of our partnerships and the depth of our collaborations that the true journey lies. Together, we can transcend the ordinary, achieve the extraordinary, and chart a course for success that endures.
