System and method for efficiently drafting a legal document using an authenticated clause table

• US 7,496,577 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuix North America Inc. (Nuix Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Attenex Corp. (FTI Consulting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Theobald, Amy C., Hensler, Charles P., Smith, Martin F., Williamson, Mary L., Hensler, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo; Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US11/486,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/6, 707/103.Z, 705/7, 705/30, 705/9, 726/4, 713/155, 715/256
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A table of clauses is compiled into a shareable database. Each clause relates to parties potentially affected by a use of the clause in a legal document. Each clause also includes authorizations controlling access and preferences specifying provisions and terms for a specific subject matter. A searchable index is formed using a topical ordering based on the specific subject matter included. A clause selection interface is exported and includes document drafting controls. The clauses table index is authenticated against the authorizations for a given user, preferences for the individual parties, and specified monetary amount and is presented following successful authentication. A clause selection is authenticated against the authorizations for a given user and the preferences for the parties. An individual clause from the clauses table is displayed on the user interface upon the selection by the given user following successful authentication.

Claims

1. A system for drafting a complex document, comprising:

a record naming at least one third party in a complex document;

a clause selection module selecting, by a user, one or more clauses from a clause table stored in a database, wherein each clause includes provisions and terms relating to conditions affecting the at least one third party;

a user comparison module comparing the one or more selected clauses against a user authorization list stored in the database and precluding only those selected clauses from use for which the user is not authorized;

a clause comparison module otherwise comparing the one or more selected clauses against a clause preference list stored in the database for the at least one third party, precluding only those selected clauses from use that are not preferred and structuring the conditions affecting the at least one third party provided in the provisions and terms of the one or more selected clauses in the complex document; and

a processor to execute the modules.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an annotation module associating annotations stored in a database with clauses from the clause table, wherein each annotation provides an explanatory description of each associated clause; and

the clause selection module presenting the associated annotation for each of the one or more selected clauses upon selection.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the annotations contain hyperlinks to reference sources.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the reference sources are stored in one of a local database and a remote database.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a search server indexing the clause table to provide efficient retrieval of the one or more selected clauses upon selection by the user.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a word processing program interface inserting the one or more selected clauses into the complex document.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an annotation panel displaying annotations stored in a database, wherein each annotation is associated with one of the one or more selected clauses and provides an explanatory description of of that selected clause.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the annotations contain hyperlinks to reference sources stored in one of a local database and a remote database.

9. A method for drafting a complex document, comprising:

naming at least one third party in a complex document;

selecting, by a user, one or more clauses from a clause table stored in a database, wherein each clause includes provisions and terms relating to conditions affecting the at least one third party;

comparing the one or more selected clauses against a user authorization list stored in the database;

precluding only those selected clauses from use for which the user is not authorized;

otherwise comparing the one or more selected clauses against a clause preference list stored in the database for the at least one third party;

precluding only those selected clauses from use that are not preferred;

structuring the conditions affecting the at least one third party provided in the provisions and terms of the one or more selected clauses in the complex document; and

storing the complex document.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

associating annotations stored in a database with clauses from the clause table, wherein each annotation provides an explanatory description of each associated clause; and

presenting the associated annotation for each of the one or more selected clauses upon selection.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the annotations contain hyperlinks to reference sources.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the reference sources are stored in one of a local database and a remote database.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

indexing the clause table to provide efficient retrieval of the one or more selected clauses upon selection by the user.

14. A method for drafting a complex document using an authenticated clause table, comprising:

naming at least one third party in a complex document;

providing a clause selection interface, comprising;

displaying a clause topics listing; and

receiving a clause selection from the clause topics listing by a user;

authenticating use of the clause selection, comprising;

comparing the clause selection against a user authorization list stored in a database for the at least one third party;

comparing the clause selection against a clause preference list stored in the database for the at least one third party; and

structuring conditions affecting the at least one third party provided in the provisions and terms of the clause selection in the complex document, wherein the clause selection is precluded from use when at least one of the clause selection is not authorized by the user authorization list and the clause selection is not preferred and, wherein the clause selection is presented via the clause selection interface upon successful authentication; and

storing the complex document.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

inserting the clause selection into the complex document.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the clause selection interface is presented as a Web page via a Web browser.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the Web page is written in an interpretable tag-delimited language.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the language is one of Hypertext Markup Language and Extensible Markup Language.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

displaying an annotation stored in a database associated with the clause selection, wherein each annotation provides an explanatory description of each associated clause selection.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the annotations contain hyperlinks to reference sources stored in one of a local database and a remote database.