A Brighton-based legal practice, Helix Law, is using cutting-edge technology to level the playing field in a $20m (£14.75m) lawsuit against Metro Bank. The firm says advancements in legal tech are allowing smaller practices to take on some of the largest names in the sector.
The dispute centres on claims brought by US software provider Arkeyo LLC, which accuses Metro Bank of breaching copyright and licensing agreements involving the lender’s in-branch coin counting machines.
Representing Arkeyo is Helix Law, a single-office firm renowned for its focus on legal technology, while Metro Bank has appointed heavyweight city firm Eversheds Sutherland to lead its defence. The next stage of proceedings is scheduled to be heard at the High Court on 17 September.
Alex Cook, Partner at Helix Law, said: “By breaching their agreement with our client, Metro Bank has not only caused financial damage, but severely damaged its own reputation and trust among its customers.
“More widely, we see this as a David and Goliath moment for our industry. Taking on a major retail bank on behalf of a much smaller client shows what is possible when you combine legal expertise with the latest technology.”
The lawsuit is the latest action in a long-running dispute between the two firms, which worked together between 2010 and 2016. Arkeyo alleges that technology it developed for use in the Metro Bank’s in-branch coin counters – known as ‘Magic Money Machines’ – was later replicated without permission, infringing trade secrets.
Helix Law is pursuing mediation on behalf of Arkeyo later this year.
AI lowering barriers to justice
The latest proceedings have come to fruition, lawyers suggest, because of the efficiencies created by new technology to aid legal practice.
Since taking on the case, Helix Law has slashed the case’s disclosure costs from a previous firm’s budget of £350,000 to just £100,000 – a fraction of the £557,000 budgeted by Metro Bank’s legal team.
“The cost savings are game-changing”, Alex explained. “In this case they have enabled a small software company to continue its fight against a much larger giant.”
“As an independent firm ourselves, we understand how challenging access to this type of justice can be.”
Helix Law estimates its approach typically saves clients up to 60% on comparable cases by deploying specialist legal AI tools and other technology that have not yet been widely adopted by larger and traditional law firms.
These tools can analyse vast document sets and court bundles, freeing lawyers to focus on key details.
Alex continued: “During our disclosure review process we identified deficiencies in Metro Bank’s submissions, which will be addressed at the High Court later this year. Without our cutting-edge software, or a huge legal team, this might have gone unnoticed.
“Freeing up our lawyers’ time not only saves clients money, but it enables our experts to pay attention to details that really matter.
“Larger firms have been slow to adapt because of the impact it could have on their billing models”, he concluded. “But change is coming, and smaller firms are at the forefront of it.”