Richard West, Kennedys

Kennedys has launched a new technology platform to provide clients with products to help them manage claims more effectively.

The platform, called Kennedys IQ, will consolidate Kennedys' pre-existing product line under one brand. Currently, the firm's tech offering includes fraud detection, settlement negotiation and portal manager services.

The new offering also includes additional AI functions such as predicting medical damages and making automatic settlement recommendations.

According to a statement by the firm, the new platform aims to help clients manage claims in less time, at a lower cost and with better outcomes.

At present, the Kennedys IQ team comprises 30 people, including 13 who work for the firm's Indian tech development practice, Kennedys Cognitive Computing, which is now also owned by IQ.

Richard West, partner and head of the innovations group at Kennedys, will act as the board director alongside firm senior partner Nick Thomas. Kennedys director of IT, Mike Gilpin, has become commercial director of Kennedys IQ while research & development head Karim Derrick becomes product and innovation director.

In a statement, West said: "We are setting up the right modern structures to keep Kennedys at the forefront of client-facing innovation.

"We can see that the future of legal services is not just about legal advice; rather, we are expert strategic advisors who work with clients to optimise their businesses."

Speaking to Law.com's UK arm Legal Week, Derrick said that the firm had a number of new product projects in the pipeline which once completed would sit on the IQ platform.

The new development has been established as a limited company, wholly owned by the law firm LLP.