Monaco: Proof of impact, not concept
The employment law service powered entirely by artificial intelligence (AI) and launched three months ago has negotiated a £30,000 settlement for a user.
Grapple Law took 15% of the unnamed healthcare worker’s compensation for its support.
Founder Alex Monaco described it as “the first time in the UK – and potentially worldwide – that an AI has negotiated a settlement on behalf of an individual”.
Grapple Law spun out of Monaco Solicitors in London, which describes itself as the largest employment law specialist firm in the UK representing individuals only.
Grapple Law is not a regulated law firm, unlike the first AI-only practice that launched earlier this year, Garfield.law, whose founder is speaking at our Law Firm Growth Summit in March.
The client was a healthcare worker who was put on a performance improvement plan despite what Grapple said was a “stellar” performance record. She explained her situation to Grapple Law and uploaded supporting evidence.
Grapple advised her on her legal position, outlined her available options and provided an assessment of the strength of her case.
It then assisted the client in preparing her formal grievance and drafted and sent a ‘without-prejudice’ letter to her employer on her behalf, using the Grapple Law letterhead. It assessed the settlement offers as they arose and “negotiated a higher, more favourable outcome for her”, the company said.
Though still chairman of Monaco Solicitors, Mr Monaco has moved over to work full-time on Grapple Law and will oversee its output to ensure it works as it should.
He said: “This isn’t a proof of concept anymore – it’s proof of impact. We’re seeing people use AI to challenge processes they would previously have felt completely powerless against. This is about access to justice, not replacing lawyers – and it’s happening faster than anyone expected.”
The client said: “I was terrified of the financial impact of losing my job and felt completely outmatched by my employer’s legal team. I had no idea how to represent myself.
“The relief was instant. The AI helped me understand I had a strong case and turned my scattered thoughts into a clear, compelling grievance and without-prejudice letter. The outcome was truly empowering.”
Mr Monaco added that Grapple was “the result of five years of hard work, and it shows what becomes possible when ordinary people finally have access to fast, affordable, effective legal support without the barrier of upfront fees”.
The service has gone down well with the public, to judge by user reviews; it has a five-star rating on Google after 124 reviews.
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