In conversation with Jack Ding at Duan & Duan
“Jus AI is primarily focused on arbitration, in particular international arbitration. The results coming out of other AIs were not particularly related to international arbitration, and therefore we found it very useful to be relying on Jus AI.”
Jack Ding, Assistant Managing Partner & Head of Cross-Border Dispute Resolution, Duan & Duan
Results at a Glance
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Arbitrator Research | 80% time reduction (from 1-2 weeks to 1-2 days) |
| Legal Research Speed | Significantly faster across multiple jurisdictions |
| Practice Expansion | From domestic to pure international arbitrations |
| Primary Benefit | Rapid knowledge acceleration and strategic capability building |
About Duan & Duan
Duan & Duan is a major Chinese law firm with over 30 offices worldwide, primarily in mainland China. The firm advises Chinese companies on construction-related projects both domestically and internationally.
Jack Ding, Assistant Managing Partner of Duan & Duan’s Beijing office and Head of the firm-wide Cross-Border Dispute Resolution Group, leads the expanding international arbitration practice. After 15 years as a corporate transactional lawyer, Jack transitioned to international arbitration five to six years ago—a shift that exemplifies the firm’s strategic evolution.
The Opportunity
The International Arbitration Gap
While Duan & Duan excelled at domestic arbitrations, the firm faced a significant challenge as Chinese clients increasingly required representation in foreign-seated proceedings.
“There are a couple of challenges,” Jack explains. “As a Chinese law firm, we’re very comfortable advising Chinese clients and also foreign clients in relation to their domestic-related arbitrations. But we were very uncomfortable—actually, we were very inexperienced—in dealing with pure international arbitrations that are seated outside of mainland China and also administered by a foreign arbitral tribunal.”
The Knowledge Challenge
Jack’s transition from corporate transactional law to international arbitration revealed the steep learning curve many lawyers face. After over 15 years in corporate law, he needed to master an entirely new domain within months—understanding procedural differences across jurisdictions, grasping international arbitration concepts, and learning substantive law in unfamiliar foreign legal systems.
Procedural challenges emerged immediately. “As a civil law trained attorney, we have no experience in understanding what are the differences between pleading syle and memorial style,” Jack notes. When the opposing party in an HKIAC proceeding insisted on using a memorial style, the team needed to quickly understand the implications of each approach.
Arbitrator research consumed weeks. “Before Jus AI, I would have to probably spend a week or two to identify arbitrators and to see what kind of cases they have been doing before,” Jack recalls
Multi-jurisdictional research posed constant obstacles. “As a Chinese law firm, we do not have a lot of legal expertise in different jurisdictions. While we are providing legal services in international arbitration, we have to look at different laws and regulations in different jurisdictions.”
General AI Tools Fell Short
The firm tested various AI platforms. “We tried different types of AI tools, and eventually we realized that the results of those AI tools are not as good as we thought,” Jack recalls. General legal AI tools produced results that weren’t particularly relevant to international arbitration.
The Solution
After evaluating multiple platforms, Duan & Duan chose Jus AI for its specialized focus on international arbitration.
Arbitration-Focused Intelligence
Unlike the general AI tools the firm had tested, Jus AI focuses specifically on international arbitration. This specialization made it immediately useful for conducting legal research, analyze different submissions, and prepare any drafts for international arbitration—tasks that require domain-specific knowledge and context.
Multi-Jurisdictional Research Capabilities
Jack identifies two features that prove particularly valuable:
Cross-jurisdictional legal research: “If we have a case in London, we are not very familiar with the jurisdiction. We can easily use prompts to help us identify some of the key issues involved with my case.”
Submission analysis: “It helps us understand from long submissions of the opposing counsel what are their key arguments. Jus AI gives us very quick summaries on those arguments and saves a lot of time for myself and my team.”
Procedural and Strategic Guidance
When faced with the memorial versus pleading style question, the team turned to Jus AI. The platform identified the pros and cons of each approach, then applied this analysis to the specific facts of their case. This allowed the team to make an informed decision about which submission style would benefit their position.
Knowledge Acceleration
Jus Mundi’s database proved transformative for rapid knowledge building. Jus AI helped gather essential knowledge efficiently through access to leading publications offering probably the best authors in the arbitration field writing about the most heated and cutting-edge topics allowing Jack to equip himself with abilities to navigate complex international arbitration matters.
Multilingual Capabilities
Jus AI’s translation capabilities have streamlined evidence review. “We work on different cross-border disputes in different jurisdictions, and sometimes the language of the evidence itself is not actually in Chinese or English or other languages that we are familiar with,” Jack explains. “Jus AI is really able to help us quickly translate those languages into a language that we are familiar with and can help us to efficiently understand what that document, that evidence, really means. So that helps a lot.”
The Impact
80% Faster Arbitrator Research
Arbitrator research time dropped from weeks to days.
“Before Jus AI, I would have to probably spend a week or two to identify arbitrators and see what kind of cases they have been doing. But now the time is relatively short—maybe just a day or two. We can get a very quick turnaround.”
Strategic Practice Expansion
Beyond efficiency, Jus AI enabled a fundamental strategic shift for Duan & Duan. The platform bridged the expertise gap that had previously made the firm uncomfortable with foreign-seated arbitrations. By providing access to international arbitration knowledge, procedural guidance, and multi-jurisdictional legal research, Jus AI transformed the firm’s ability to confidently pursue pure international arbitration work.
This capability expansion directly serves the firm’s Chinese clients, who increasingly face complex international disputes requiring representation in proceedings seated outside mainland China.
A Strategic Partner
Jack’s view of Jus AI reveals how deeply integrated the tool has become in daily practice.
“I would consider this particular tool as my partner, as my friend. It’s more like an encyclopedia that will help me with questions I don’t know the answer to, give me strategic advice on certain issues I haven’t encountered before, and help me identify which arbitrators and rules will help the case I am about to work on.”
Enhanced Client Service
“As a firm trying our best to serve clients efficiently and effectively, we are more than happy to embrace the new trend that is brought by Jus AI.”
The combination of faster research, deeper insights, and expanded capabilities translates directly into better service for Chinese clients navigating complex international disputes.
The Future of Arbitration Practice
Jack sees Jus AI as a transformative force in the practice.
“Jus AI is like Bitcoin and cryptocurrency 10 years ago. If you got Bitcoin 10 years ago, you are probably a millionaire right now. I see Jus AI like cryptocurrency back 10 years ago—it has tremendous potential. It will be helping and changing this practice very fast.”
Ready to see how Jus AI can transform your arbitration practice?
Book a personalized demo today and experience the speed, accuracy, and confidence that leading firms like Three Crowns rely on.
