March 24, 2025 -- Issue #333
Hi, Charlie Uniman here, host of Legal Tech StartUp Focus ("LTSF"), the online community for everyone involved with legal tech startups. You're reading the latest digest of articles, opinion pieces, and other thoughts posted during the past week at the community.
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Exit/M&A
◾ Build or buy, law firms frequently ask. Well, as Legaltech News reports, this time it's a buy!
"On Monday, law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton announced the acquisition of Springbok AI, a developer of large language model-powered solutions. Large language models (LLMs) are the engines behind generative AI technology.
"With the acquisition of Springbok AI, the firm aims to launch an AI acceleration team and use Springbok AI’s capabilities to develop tailored AI solutions."https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2025/03/17/-cleary-gottlieb-acquires-gen-ai-solution-developer-springbok-ai/?kw=Cleary%20Gottlieb%20Acquires%20Gen%20AI%20Solution%20Developer%20Springbok%20AI&utm_source=email&utm_medium=enl&utm_campaign=newsroomupdate&utm_content=20250317&utm_term=ltn&oly_enc_id=6788E2252056B4A
◾ From the Legal IT Insider:
"Harbor today (18 March) announced it has acquired CLIENTSFirst Consulting, a circa 80-strong client relationship management and data quality management services provider based in the United States."
"Founded in 2007, CLIENTSFirst Consulting has provided marketing technology consulting services and CRM implementation services to hundreds of law firms and other professional services firms."https://legaltechnology.com/2025/03/18/harbor-acquires-clientsfirst-consulting-to-scale-marketing-tech-offering/
◾ From Diego Richards, community member: "Hi everyone! I am Diego from Stillio, a legal tech company in the Netherlands. We provide an Automated Screenshot Service, used by many of our clients as evidence in court for Intellectual Property, Trademark and Patent cases, among others.
"You can check this case study to know what we do: https://www.stillio.com/case-studies/abercrombie-fitch
"If anyone is interested in acquiring a legaltech start-up with over 13 years in the market, we are open to knowing who will take Stillio to the next level.
"I wish you all a great Friday! Best, Diego, diego@stillio.com"
Fundraising
◾ From the Europe-focused startup newsletter, Sifted:
“Stockholm-based Hybridity, which is automating regulatory compliance with AI, raised €2.1m in seed funding. Stefan Lennhammer led the round.”
◾ Venture Capital Meets Legal Tech: A conversation with Yousuf Khan of Ridge Ventures. "What happens when a venture capitalist with CIO experience meets the evolving world of legal technology? Yousuf Khan, Partner at Ridge Ventures (https://ridge.vc), brings a refreshing perspective on what makes legal tech startups truly investable in today's market.
The rest of the show notes and access to the podcast episode here: https://network-295075.mn.co/posts/81465504?utm_source=manual
◾ Reporting from LawSites:
“With $4.5 million in seed funding to date and the backing of several legal technology veterans, the legal technology company Entegrata aims to transform how law firms integrate and analyze data across disparate business systems in order to drive data-informed decision-making.
“The investment in the company, which was made public today, was led by Chicago Ventures, with participation from OnDean Forward, the investment vehicle led by Andrew Sieja, founder of e-discovery company Relativity, and other former Relativity executives, and The LegalTech Fund, the first venture fund to focus exclusively on legal technology.”
Congratulations to Tom Baldwin and the rest of the Entegrata team.
https://www.lawnext.com/2025/03/entegrata-raises-4-5m-to-further-its-mission-to-transform-law-firm-data-analytics-and-business-intelligence.html
◾ From the CaseBlink fundraising press release today, March 19, 2025:
“Miami, FL, March 19, 2025 — CaseBlink, a leading AI startup in immigration law, today announced it has secured $2 million in pre-seed funding led by Tower Research Ventures, leading VCs, immigration law firms, including Fakhoury Global Immigration (FGI).”
The entire press release, with much more about CaseBlink’s product offerings - including its recently launched Studio,
"the industry’s first fully customizable AI drafting tool designed specifically for immigration attorneys” - can be found at this link: https://caseblink.com/resources/blog/caseblink-raises-2m-in-pre-seed-funding-to-transform-immigration-case-preparation-with-ai
BTW, I had the pleasure of recording an episode of the Legal Tech StartUp Focus Podcast recently with two of Caseblink's three co-foundersk, Khalil Zlaoui and Tina Zedginidze. The episode will be published soon, so please stay tuned for word of this marvelous interview's publication.
Honors and Awards
◾ From the press release today by EvenUp, a legal tech startup that's builds software for the personal injury bar:
"SAN FRANCISCO – March 21, 2025 – EvenUp is celebrating the groundbreaking work of personal injury law firms with the launch of its Personal Injury Pioneer Awards, recognizing firms that are leveraging AI to drive better case outcomes. Announced at the inaugural EvenUp Customer Summit (March 12-14th), the awards highlight forward-thinking firms and attorneys who are transforming personal injury law through innovation and data-driven advocacy.
The Summit brought together top legal professionals to explore the future of AI-powered casework, featuring guest appearances from NFL legend Jerry Rice and former FBI negotiator Chris Voss. As EvenUp continues its rapid growth, now serving over 1,500 customers, the Personal Injury Pioneer Awards reinforce the company’s mission to empower law firms with cutting-edge tools to close the justice gap for their clients.
Find much more in the press release itself (including the names of the award winners) at this link: https://network-295075.mn.co/posts/81770393?utm_source=manual
JusticeTech/A2J
◾ “Paladin, a company whose platform connects lawyers with opportunities to provide free legal help, is today launching Paladin Insights, a new data analytics platform designed to provide real-time reporting capabilities for pro bono legal teams”
Read the entire LawSites article here: https://www.lawnext.com/2025/03/paladin-building-on-acquisition-of-pro-bono-manager-unveils-analytics-platform-for-law-firm-pro-bono.html
◾ “PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s highest court has created a pair of AI-generated avatars to deliver news of every ruling issued by the justices, marking what is believed to be the first example in the U.S. of a state court system tapping artificial intelligence to build more human-like characters to connect with the public.”
https://apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-arizona-court-653060178ab9661a3ca6ddc37ac12907
H/T to Judge Scott Schlegel for making me aware of this article.
◾ The incomparable Justice Technology Association emailed me explaining: "A new documentary, JUSTICE: JUST A PROMISE?, is in the works to expose the crisis of self-representation in our justice system and the people fighting to change it. Millions of Americans face life-altering legal issues - evictions, custody battles, job loss - without a lawyer to help. This film will shine a light on the problem and the innovators working toward solutions, but it needs funding to be made."
Over the next several weeks I'm going to be posting to the community about the production of this much-needed documentary and its need for funding. Here's the first of several such posts:
"A Documentary That Could Change the Justice System 🎥
"Imagine being sued, evicted, or denied benefits—with no lawyer to help. For millions, that’s reality. A new documentary, JUSTICE: JUST A PROMISE?, aims to expose the crisis of self-representation and highlight those fighting for change. But it needs funding to be made.
"Help bring this story to life: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/justice-just-a-promise#/
LegalEd
◾ Joel Bijlmer posts: "Competition law shapes markets, influences corporate strategy, and determines how businesses compete – or whether they can effectively compete at all. It can open doors for new entrants or shut them out, encourage fair pricing or lead to billion-dollar penalties for engaging in the opposite. And it’s no longer just a slap on the wrist that ensues – ask Google, which faced a €4.3 billion fine for antitrust violations, or any company that has been forced to rethink major parts of its business model after a regulatory crackdown.
For lawyers working in this high-stakes field, precision is everything. A case can hinge on the interpretation of a single precedent, a regulatory guideline, or an obscure fact buried in thousands of pages of text. CompetitionAI’s Competition Copilot – an AI-powered platform that cuts through complex regulations and case law to provide sourced, reliable legal content in minutes is designed to make that search faster and more effective.
"Read the full article: https://thelegalwire.ai/competitionai-ai-powered-platform-for-antitrust-and-fdi-lawyers/"
◾ Ivy Grey, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at WordRake, has published a white paper about AI and ethics, a newsworthy topic if ever there were one.
On LinkedIn, noted legal tech commentator Bob Ambrogi has said, “Highly recommend this white paper on AI and ethics,” and Suffolk University Law School professor Dyane O’Leary has written: “As a thinker and writer at the intersection of tech and lawyering, Ivy Grey always strikes the perfect balance of complete and complex yet somehow still simple and digestible. I highly recommend this white paper - at the top of the assigned reading list for my students next year."
And as Ivy herself was kind enough to let me know: "Here’s the link: https://www.wordrake.com/generative-ai-and-legal-ethics-white-paper (entering an email on the landing page is optional – if you click the download button without an email you’ll still get the white paper)."
◾ Another post from Joel Bijlmer: AI is no longer an emerging novelty—it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives, our businesses, and even our creative endeavours. In Harry's book, AI and the Law: A Practical Guide to Using Artificial Intelligence Safely, He sets out to provide a clear, accessible framework for understanding and safely harnessing AI, regardless of whether you’re a lawyer, educator, marketer, creative, or professional in any field.
"Read the full article here: https://thelegalwire.ai/ai-and-the-law-a-practical-guide-to-using-artificial-intelligence-safely/"
Marketing
◾ Marketing at legal tech startups is often a link in the startups' business processes that needs strengthening. That's why I was delighted to learn that the Blickstein Group is now launching what it calls "MVP Marketing for Emerging Legaltechs."
"Emerging legaltechs need effective marketing to build brand and pipeline, often withoutknowing what that looks like. They must accelerate rapidly and cannot afford ineffectiveefforts or initiatives that distract from the company’s key objectives.That’s why Blickstein Group has launched MVP Marketing for Emerging Legaltechs."
Visit this link to find out all about this launch from Brad Blickstein and his team: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p2rOgX0_8CBYto9uQE4J4yLZ1hZKnMD8/view
Member Introductions/Questions
◾ LTSF'er, Mathew Kerbis asks: "Has anyone built a legaltech startup with only licensed attorneys and law firms on the cap table so that it could offer the product without a fee paid in advance but instead generate revenue through a percentage take of what flows through the legaltech solution?
If you'd like to respond to Mathew's post, you can do so here: https://network-295075.mn.co/posts/81508739?utm_source=manual
Partnerships/Business Development
◾ “The American Arbitration Association (AAA) has announced a strategic partnership with Dioptra, the contract review and negotiation startup (see video below).
“The goal is to help lawyers with ‘the adoption of well-structured, effective arbitration clauses in commercial agreements’. Dioptra already has some fans in the legal field, including Wilson Sonsini.”
https://www.artificiallawyer.com/2025/03/18/aaa-partners-with-dioptra-genai-pioneer/
Product Development
◾ “On Monday, legal, risk and HR compliance solutions provider Mitratech announced the launch of CounselConnector, a hiring platform that helps general counsel and in-house legal teams find law firm lawyers.”
“Lawyers displayed on CounselConnector have been approved by Mitratech’s AdvanceLaw company, which claims to evaluate candidates based on previous client interactions versus the names of firms they’re affiliated with or their rates.”https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2025/03/17/mitratech-launches-counselconnector-an-outside-counsel-hiring-platform/
◾ "Vorys Sater Seymour & Pease announced the launch of AIV Labor, a proprietary agentic generative artificial intelligence program geared toward attorney and human resource questions concerning labor and employment laws."
Complete article from Legaltech News here: https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2025/03/17/vorys-sater-launches-agentic-ai-platform-aiv-labor-/?kw=Vorys%20Sater%20Launches%20Agentic%20AI%20Platform%20%27AIV%20Labor%27&utm_source=email&utm_medium=enl&utm_campaign=newsroomupdate&utm_content=20250318&utm_term=ltn&oly_enc_id=6788E2252056B4A&slreturn=20250318172104
◾ "Litera is expanding its legal genAI capabilities with ‘Litera One’ to provide ‘seamlessly integrated’ drafting, accessing of KM resources, and doc review, which in turn is based on what it’s calling Litera AI+, its genAI solution that works across the platform. The multifaceted company, which also owns Kira, has focused much of its recent energy on data and workflows. So, the launch of interlinked genAI-boosted productivity tools is an important step and addresses a ‘missing link.'"
Read the rest of Artificial Lawyer's reporting at the link to dig into the details of what this product development from Litera is really all about: https://www.artificiallawyer.com/2025/03/19/litera-rolls-out-missing-link-genai-capabilities/
◾ “On Wednesday, artificial intelligence-powered deposition technology company Deposely announced the release of Deposely LX, an AI deposition second chair.”
https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2025/03/19/deposely-launches-deposely-lx-an-ai-second-chair-for-depositions/
◾ “Reveal announces new GenAi-powered
E-Discovery Platform [to be released this summer].”
“Reveal’s e-discovery platform provides gen-AI powered document review features as well as direct guidance to users to streamline discovery and investigation processes.
“A major aspect of the platform is that it’s meant to be a welcoming environment for users of all different skill levels. The platform allows users to experiment with prompting and receive feedback on whether they should apply the prompt to a larger data set or if the prompt needs to be more concise.”
More from Legaltech News here: https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2025/03/24/reveal-announces-new-gen-ai-powered-e-discovery-platform/
Purchasing/Using Legal Tech
◾ Brief, but quite insightful take on GenAI’s use in discovery matters from the is Legaltech News interview:
“Redgrave LLP Partner Robert Keeling discusses why gen AI is garnering a different reception than TAR in the e-discovery world—and what could throw its adoption off track.”
https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2025/03/17/gen-ais-place-in-e-discovery-is-far-from-certain-a-chat-with-legalweek-speaker-robert-keeling/
◾ Legal IT Insider reports:
"Harbottle & Lewis has announced today (20 March) that it is partnering with Legora(formerly Leya), initially leveraging the generative AI solution for document review and due diligence tasks but with a view to extending those use cases to the business of law."https://legaltechnology.com/2025/03/20/harbottle-lewis-partners-with-legora-for-practice-and-business-of-law-tasks/
◾ I’m always gratified to find legal tech covered by a publication that writes business and VC/startup news from a more general vantage point. So, I was pleased to come across an article from Venture Beat about how Lexis Nexis relies on several foundation models to operate its legal assistant software, Protégé.
https://venturebeat.com/ai/small-models-as-paralegals-lexisnexis-distills-models-to-build-ai-assistant/
◾ Legal IT Insider gives a round-up of recent legal tech news: https://legaltechnology.com/2025/03/21/legaltech-latest-news-from-exterro-integreon-everlaw-veritext-and-relativity/
◾ It's almost LegalWeek in NYC, so Legaltech News offers its pre-LegalWeek legal tech rundown:
"An update on the legal tech market's past week, from product launches to new partnerships, in advance of Legalweek 2025 in New York."http://bit.ly/4hzG9Td
Startup Management
◾ An announcement of a new product offering for the legal tech industry from Bob Ambrogi's LawSites blog and LawNext Media Inc. (from the LawNext Media/LawSites press release of today, March 20, 2025):
"LawSites, the widely read legal technology blog by legal journalist Robert Ambrogi, and its affiliated company LawNext Media Inc., announce the launch of the LawNext PR Presswire, a dedicated feed of legal tech press releases highlighting the latest developments in the field. LawNext PR Presswire provides readers with one-stop access to the latest announcements, product updates, and industry innovations directly from legal technology vendors worldwide."
The entire press release can be accessed here: https://www.lawnext.com/2025/03/lawsites-launches-dedicated-legal-tech-press-release-wire-ahead-of-legalweek-conference.html
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