Lander & Rogers boost defamation case leads with automated enquiry tool

Your reputation can mean everything.

It can determine your social or professional position, where you can fly, or simply your peace of mind. If you think you’re being defamed you can pursue legal proceedings, but will your case stand up in a court of law? 

Historically, you’d find this out by speaking 1:1 with a lawyer. Be it via various phone calls, several emails, or even a good old sit down at their desk. 

Times are changing and not everyone has the time nor desire to reach out personally. A quick chat with an automated enquiry tool can be all you need to know your best next steps. 

Leading Australian law firm Lander & Rogers holds a steadfast commitment to innovation. With a focus on client experience, the commercial disputes team are unearthing new ways to innovate and broaden their client base. What’s more, both clients and colleagues are saving valuable time too.

We spoke with Lander & Rogers Partner Scott Traeger and Practice Manager Tobias O’Hehir to hear about their latest automation project.

Tell us what you’ve been working on recently!

Scott Traeger: “We’ve built a client-facing Defamation Chat bot that gets into the legal specifics that arise when determining ‘Do I have a defamation case?’”

“Defamation can get quite technical fairly quickly, so we thought we would build a bot that answers simple questions while also providing greater access to justice to those who might not have the funds or willingness to engage with a big law firm like ours.”

Tobias O’Hehir: “We’ve also recently updated our online defamation resource so it’s SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) friendly. We’ve designed the content so that it prepares users with relevant information and once they’ve had a read-through, they can contact us directly if they think they have a case.”

How did you settle on this specific bot build?

Tobias: “More broadly, we’re finding that one of the main values of legal tech is its ability to enhance the relationship between the lawyer and the client. Clients hate paying legal bills, let’s be honest. It’s even worse when the bills increase due to some long, drawn-out process that could be automated or removed altogether.”

Scott: “When we’d get an initial defamation enquiry, I’d previously receive messages from reception saying ‘Please call this client, this client and this client about a potential defamation claim.’

I’d be left thinking, ‘Which one do I call first?!’ By managing leads through the defamation bot, I can quickly gather the information so I know where I can most add value and what to prioritise.”

What does the bot do exactly?

Scott: “It generates and triages enquiries all at the same time. The bot essentially guides users to answer questions so that we retrieve the most relevant pieces of information possible.”

Tobias: “It’s a way of making a pre-existing process more efficient, meaning we can direct our investment (and client legal fees) to the exact right spots.”

“We thought, ‘Let’s build a bot that essentially functions as an open shop door. People can walk straight through!’”

How is the bot helping Lander & Rogers internally?

Scott: “It’s great at helping us assess the urgency of each case. Things like: is this an urgent matter that requires a call in a couple of hours? Will it go anywhere? Can a junior colleague respond to it? Or is it something more nuanced that requires partner involvement?”

“We can triage enquiries a lot more efficiently and ensure, so when we do get on the phone, we can quickly get to the nub of the dispute.”

What other benefits have you identified?

Tobias: “Clients are already liking the new process, so a positive experience for clients is always a good thing!”

“It’s bringing in actual traffic and generating leads too. Perhaps 3 or 4 a week.”

Scott: “It’s definitely a time saver. Previously, when generic enquires came through, I had little idea prior to returning their call whether they were great cases or if there were issues such as statutory limitation periods that made them unactionable.”

“By using the defamation bot, these issues are identified both for us and for the prospective client before the first phone call even takes place.”

How else has the bot enhanced your workflows?

Scott: “I’d say the bot is enabling us to cater for the needs or wants of a broader range of clients. Not everybody wants a sit-down meeting. Having a tech option is a useful, additional means of client engagement.”

“It also allows us to deliver a lot more value, I think. Rather than the initial engagement covering information easily found on Google searches, we can provide our defamation expertise straight upfront.”

Last but not least! What would you say to those looking to build on Josef?

Scott: “The learning process is very simple and intuitive.”

Tobias: “Changing things and adding things is really simple too. I thought the platform was great.”