Research project
Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Katchr
- Start date: 13 May 2024
- End date: 12 May 2026
- Principal investigator: Dr Richard Hodgett (Leeds University Business School) - KTP Academic lead)
- Co-investigators: Dr Nabi Omidvar (Leeds University Business School and School of Computing, and the Head of AI Applications in the Centre for Financial Technology and Innovation) - KTP Academic Supervisor. Dr Xingie Wei (Leeds University Business School) - KTP Academic Support.
Description
The University of Leeds, Leeds University Business School, School of Computing, and Katchr have secured a prestigious Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project to develop and deploy a specialised AI-powered business solution underpinned by advanced machine learning and AI.
The KTP is set to transform financial services for the legal sector, offering personalised solutions.
Katchr is the UK’s leading performance management and business analytics solution provider to the legal sector, based in the Leeds City Region LEP, currently used to support and drive change in over 100 law firms. Katchr has been developed with, and for, law firms and ensures that the data they have locked away is turned into actionable information for every member of the team at the touch of a button. With proven integrations to all leading case and practice management systems, Katchr dashboards monitor all aspects of law firm performance including fee earner KPIs, marketing, case progress, risk and compliance, client-matter profitability and departmental P&L. Fully compatible with a smartphone and tablet, Katchr dashboard visualisations and reports can be tailored to each firm and help optimise every aspect of their business operations, marketing and pricing decisions.
Research overview
The project's goal is to create an AI-powered business solution tailored to the unique needs of legal professionals. By harnessing AI, it will streamline financial processes, improve decision-making, and enhance Katchr’s client satisfaction. Associate Professors Dr Nabi Omidvar from Leeds University Business School and School of Computing and the Head of AI Applications in the Centre for Financial Technology and Innovation will lead the academic team while, Dr Richard Hodgett and Dr Xingjie Wei from Leeds University Business School will provide academic oversight and support.
Their combined expertise not only ensures a comprehensive AI-driven financial solution for Katchr but also ignites industry-informed research, generating impactful insights that lead to the formulation of new foundational research directly informed by real-world needs, alongside fostering research-led teaching.
This KTP is joint-funded by Innovate UK and Katchr.