National law firm Ballard Spahr and AI-powered litigation platform Syllo have received the 2025 Trailblazers Award from the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) in recognition of a collaborative initiative that uses AI to automate first-level document review.
The Trailblazers Award is one of the ILTA’s Distinguished Peer Awards, which the organization presented at an event last night in Myrtle Beach. The awards event was part of ILTA’s EVOLVE Conference, a four-day gathering that ends today. The Trailblazers Award recognizes a collaborative effort between an ILTA member organization and a business partner in the form of an early deployment of a new product or service. ILTA is a global organization that provides information, education, peer connections, and career support to enhance the delivery of legal services.
The Syllo platform was founded by a team of litigators and engineers, and enables legal teams to securely harness the power of large language models throughout the litigation life cycle. In selecting the Ballard Spahr-Syllo AI initiative for the Trailblazers Award, ILTA noted the system’s ability to review documents faster, produce superior results, and keep data secure and confidential, as well as the effectiveness of Ballard Spahr and Syllo at “managing risk in being an early adopter” of innovative practices. Members of Ballard Spahr’s Client Value and Innovation Team worked closely with the firm’s Litigation Department to collaborate with Syllo on developing the system.
“This tool makes us better at what we do,” Litigation Department Chair, Jason A. Leckerman, said. “It puts the power of AI to work for our clients while emphasizing security. I’m grateful for the collaboration of Syllo and our Client Value and Innovation Team and all the work and skill that went into this trailblazing effort.”
Lisa Mayo Haynes, Director of Technology Innovation at Ballard Spahr, accepted the Trailblazers Award at last night’s ceremony on behalf of the firm. In addition, Lisa spoke on a panel this morning, Revolutionizing Legal Practice: Harnessing Generative AI for Law Firms, as part of the EVOLVE conference agenda.
In addition to the firm-level Trailblazers accolade, Syllo CEO Jeffrey Chivers received the ILTA Innovative Leader of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding individual achievement in maximizing the value of an innovative technology in support of legal professionals.
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