Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Academy and Thomson Reuters MENA have entered into a strategic partnership that aims to substantially boost the knowledge of legal technologies and legal research tools, and their use in the region.

The partnership will see Thomson Reuters Legal provide a series of online sessions to legal professionals across the region that are designed to help local legal professionals understand the various legal technologies and legal research tools that are available to them.

The sessions, suitable for all lawyers, whether law firms or in-house, will cover a range of topics from digital transformation and adopting legal tech to emerging legal trends in the market. It will also introduce participants to various legal technologies, including Thomson Reuters’ own global legal research platforms, Westlaw and Practical Law.

Alya Al Zarouni, Executive Vice President of Operations and Head of DIFC Academy, DIFC Authority said:“The DIFC Academy is pleased to partner with Thomson Reuters Legal to provide legal professionals access to latest updates on legal tech and the available digitals tools that can support their sector. The pandemic has accelerated digitisation across all industries including the legal profession.

“We are committed to collaborating with likeminded partners and institutions to develop the Centre’s knowledge-rich ecosystem, which in turn will help shape the future of finance. DIFC is home to many legal firms, including eight of world’s top 10 so the partnership will be of immediate benefit to our clients.”

“I believe our partnership with the DIFC Academy is very important now to raise awareness among legal professionals and organizations in the UAE and the region, especially since the COVID19 pandemic has accelerated the remote working trend. Many new technologies are now available, with more expected in the future, and it can be challenging to choose a good fit for the organization’s needs. The legal sector is at a tipping point in terms of technology, and various tools are now available that can greatly boost efficiency and substantially increase the competitive advantage,” said: Ibrahim Abdel Rehim, Legal Professionals Lead at Thomson Reuters MENA.

For more than a decade, DIFC has supported the learning needs of the financial services industry in the region by partnering with providers of top-ranked educational resources. The partnership with Thomson Reuters MENA now extends this service to the region’s legal sector.

Legal professionals from across the region will have the opportunity to sign-up to various online seminars in the coming months, stay tuned to our LinkedIn page where interested parties can register their attendance.