Jean-Philippe Doho: “The best AI advice I give is to try it out and develop your own solutions”
- Global Legal Tech Hub
- 38 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Pablo Yannone Sancho, Journalist at GLTH
Jean-Philippe Doho has been in the legal field for about 10 years. Grown in France, now he lives in Berlin, where he works in the field of legal innovation as Head of Legal Operations & Technology.
As a very extrovert person who is always looking for new knowledge, he did not think twice when he was invited to join the GLTH. Since then, he has met a lot of diverse and international people, such as Laura Fauqueur, learned new ideas and grown in the community.
The tool that only a few people already have
"I think technology can help literally change the way law is made, produced and also communicated," he begins. A very good example of this claim is what Jean-Philippe did at Ubisoft, where he led the development of UbiLegal. "It’s a legal front door where you have all the information you need -videos, policies, guides- everything in one place," he explains. He describes the experience as groundbreaking, adding, "To this day, I have never seen a tool as powerful as this one." His passion for innovation has driven him to create systems that are intuitive and serve as the "Google for legal," a concept he believes all Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems should aspire to. Why?
Well, he is not very happy with CLM softwares. He thinks they don´t have the ability to be like “the front door to legal”. He misses “Google of legal”, regarding a document management system. This lack reflects, for him, that there is a gap between what lawyers need and what they have. And the only solution is having a tool that a few people already have: their own tool. "Most legal teams need tools that are user-friendly, but off-the-shelf products rarely meet those needs," he says.
Developing an in-house tool tailored to specific requirements brings numerous benefits, including improved user experience, flexibility, and direct maintenance capabilities. Jean-Philippe emphasizes the importance of collaborating with designers and developers during the creation process. "Working with designers ensures that your tool is built with user-friendliness in mind," he notes.
Indeed, UbiLegal, the solution he led at Ubisoft, is an example of the power of creating custom legal tools. The company initially used a basic platform, which lacked integration and wasn't tailored to their needs. "The IT team developed a front-end interface, but it wasn’t connected to any internal systems," he recalls. UbiLegal, a customized platform that centralized resources, streamlined automation, and connected legal functions directly to sales.
This development approach not only improved the tool's functionality but also allowed for real-time adjustments without relying on external vendors! "The biggest benefit is that the story manager is in your firm; you don’t have to wait days to get a call back," Jean-Philippe explains.
Jean-Philippe envisions a future where every legal department has its own innovation team, working closely with designers and developers to build tools that serve their clients in the best way possible.
Jean-Philippe's background
When he was younger, he wanted to design cars, inspired by his father's work in the automotive industry. Later, his interests expanded into the world of politics, a field he still hopes to explore one day. He is also passionate about learning from other fields. He recommends exploring works like "Miss Major Speaks" and the Serpentine UK publication, "Art and Public AI," as ways to understand how AI is transforming various sectors beyond just the legal world. "Cross-functional knowledge is crucial for developing new ideas," he says.
His extensive variety of tastes is also reflected in his favorite TV show, Mad Men, which talks about the evolution of corporate culture in America. "It’s a story about the American dream, the changing dynamics between men and women, and how society evolved," he explains. Indeed, he is very attracted to the topic of how society changes over the years. As a person who has roots in France, Africa and Germany -and a fiancee from Ukraine- he is very concerned of the blendings of culture and how they change society. That's why he envisions a future filled with diversity and inclusivity. He believes this blend of cultures enriches not only society but also individual perspectives.
Despite having a DNA built by many places, he will always have a strong sense of belonging to the Ivory Coast. Here, he finds a deep connection when visiting his family's homeland, shaping his identity. "Every time I go back there, I feel this sense of belonging and understanding where I’m from," he shares.
With a life philosophy centered on growth and faith, Jean-Philippe reminds himself daily of his purpose. "I’m healthy, I’m alive, I’m a Christian, God is in control, and I need to do my best to make the world a better place," he affirms.
Legal Operations and Legal Innovation