DAVAO CITY—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office here entered into an agreement with a private legal organization to provide small-scale entrepreneurs with the needed legal services that would not drain them of money to pay the services.
The DTI-XI recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with LexMeet Inc., a legal technology company, on Business Legal Shield Program for micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the Davao Region.
The LexMeet Inc. said the DTI-Region XI was the first government agency in the country to seek this kind of legal services online with them to pilot a program that would protect the MSMEs’ legal aid requirements, the regional trade office said in a statement.
The MOA was signed at the DTI Region XI office.
The DTI said the Business Legal Shield Program “aims to digitalize MSMEs’ access to justice using emerging technologies. DTI 11 is the first government agency to pilot this program.”
Acting Regional Director Romeo L. Castañaga said the partnership with a private firm “opens opportunities for local MSMEs as they acquire legal services online.”
“This collaborative program between DTI XI and LexMeet Inc. offers a solution to the legal-related problems of our MSMEs. This can help those who do not have access to lawyers or are reluctant to hire one due to costs. With this program, getting legal advice becomes convenient for our MSMEs. More so, they do not need to pay since free LexMeet credits will be given to them,” Castañaga said.
The DTI said MSMEs commonly needed legal service pertaining to labor laws, taxes and licenses, environmental compliance, market access, customs law, intellectual property and other compliance to regulatory agencies.
The DTI said LexMeet Inc. offers ease of access to and delivery of legal services. “It provides many tech products that connect lawyers and clients to solve legal problems.”
It said that the company is a start-up grantee of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) for their project called Prototyping and Pilot Testing of LexDocs Chatbot Legal Assistant for MSMEs and start-ups—A Legal Community Crowd-Sourced Online Legal Document Assembly powered by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for MSMEs and Start-Ups, also known as “Business Legal Shield Program.”
During the event, LexMeet showcased the Business Legal Shield program’s functions and objectives. It has two aspects: 1) research and study for MSMEs about their need for online legal services to assist them in their operations, and 2) pilot-testing of LexMeet products with MSMEs to help them in their legal services needs.
“LexMeet is not just a product; it’s a movement toward a more efficient, collaborative, and tech-driven legal industry. It is a global online community of lawyers and clients solving the world’s problem of access to justice with one common dream that one day, everybody will have access to justice whenever and wherever they are. We invite you to join us on this journey to reshape the future of legal practice,” Valderrama said.
The DTI said it intended to upscale and upskill MSMEs in the region and hoped “that a lot of legal questions of MSMEs can be answered and that this will help them improve their business operations with confidence and peace of mind knowing that legal expert has their back.”