NHS, Scotland's national telehealth and telecare organisation, has launched an online chatbot called “Ave” that aims to give people across the country access to help and information about the novel coronavirus. The launch has been supported by six organisations, leading global law firm Baker McKenzie being one of them. 

Ave will be able to answer questions about COVID-19, making use of the clinically approved information provided on NHS inform. The addition of the chatbot function enhances the way people can access the information. Capgemini, a French multinational corporation that provides consulting, technology, professional and outsourcing services, made the initial introduction between Cancer Central, a digital platform that provides information for cancer patients and their families, and NHS 24 for the project. Ave was created by Cancer Central, engineered by technical consultancy Amido, hosted by American multinational technology company Microsoft, with SMS texts by cloud communications platform Twilio. All of the mentioned organisations have given their support through social impact initiatives in order to help the NHS through the coronavirus pandemic. 

A team of Baker McKenzie lawyers is providing pro bono legal advice on the general commercial legal aspects of the development and launch of this project, including London Associate Jaspreet Takhar and Of Counsel Julia Gillert. Jaspreet comments on the initiative that “Baker McKenzie is delighted to be providing pro bono legal counsel to Cancer Central. Its initiative is a critical resource to support patients in Scotland amidst the COVID-19 crisis, and --we’re looking forward to advising on its exciting tech solutions and its collaboration with the NHS.”

Baker McKenzie is one of the largest law firms in the world by headcount and revenue, and their mission is helping their clients overcome the challenges of competing in the global economy. Further examples for the firm´s pro bono work are the advising of FutureDotNow on the launch of a COVID-19 project to get the UK´s most vulnerable online, or the advising of a non-profit consortium of doctors and scientists in the launch of their COVID-19 tracking app The How We Feel Project.