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Transforming Lead Processing with AI: A Legal Finance Provider Pioneers Innovation
How a legal finance provider is using Azure OpenAI to streamline a critical process and boost operational efficiency
A leading provider of litigation funding for plaintiffs and personal injury law firms is no stranger to innovation. With a commitment to improving access to justice through non-recourse financial support, the firm constantly seeks ways to improve operations. A long-time Microsoft customer and HSO client, the firm took a bold step forward by turning to AI to modernize a critical lead processing workflow.
The Challenge
Like many fast-growing organizations in highly specialized industries, this legal finance firm deals with a high volume of email-based inquiries and documentation. Each email often contains critical case information—both in the message body and in attachments—that must be reviewed, interpreted, and entered into internal systems.
Manual processing was time-consuming, prone to delays, and a drain on skilled resources.
To maintain operational efficiency and support future growth, the firm needed a way to extract relevant information faster and with greater accuracy—while reducing the burden on staff.
The Solution
The firm partnered with HSO to explore the potential of Azure OpenAI and Microsoft Power Platform to automate data extraction from email communications. The engagement began with a feasibility study and a Copilot prototype—a model-driven app that allowed the internal team to create and test their own prompts against real case emails and attachments.
With early results showing strong promise, the firm moved forward with a phased implementation strategy to reduce risk and validate results at each step, focusing first on:
• Deploying Azure OpenAI and testing various models in the company's environment
• Configuring a custom app linked to the Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) activity queue
• Extracting data from email bodies and attachments
• Linking that data to existing CRM records
Faster Lead Intake
Automated extraction of critical case data reduces delays and accelerates case evaluation.
Improved Accuracy
AI-driven processing ensures more consistent data capture from unstructured content.
Employee Enablement
Staff can focus on higher-value tasks rather than manual email triage.
Platform Alignment
The solution builds on the company's existing Microsoft infrastructure, ensuring scalability and integration.
The Results
Streamlining core processes--compliments of AI
The success of the proof of concept validated AI's ability to streamline lead intake—a core business function. The firm now has a working solution that demonstrates how AI can connect incoming emails and attachments directly to client records in CRM, significantly reducing manual effort.
Equally important, the project established a strong foundation for future AI initiatives by embedding model testing, prompt engineering, and user feedback loops into the firm’s daily operations and gave the firm an early-adopter advantage in applying AI to a real, high-impact business process—not just a theoretical use case.
By partnering with HSO and Microsoft, the firm reducedthe risk of AI adoption while increasing alignment across business and IT stakeholders. What started as a prototype is now a strategic capability—with broader automation coming soon.
Positioned for further transformation with AI
By choosing an iterative, low-risk approach backed by a trusted partner, this legal finance provider has laid the groundwork for broader AI integration across operations. This success story is not just about technology—it's about how a forward-thinking organization is embracing innovation to better serve clients and scale its impact.
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