I just flew back from Chicago… and boy are my arms tired. 😉
Besides getting to wear my flashy new white suit for the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Gallagher Awards ceremony, I also caught up with lots of colleagues, old and new. AALL is one of those sneaky tech conferences that dresses up as a law library conference. If you’ve never been to one, I highly recommend it if you like the combination of smart people, vendors who focus on displaying practical application of technologies, and a collaborative environment. Next year is in Portland, so that’s also a very cool city (literally and figuratively) to travel.
There’s been lots of activity this week in the legal tech industry. Some of which was announced at AALL’s conference and listed below.
Next up is ILTACon. I just decided to attend, so let me know if you are going to be there!
Remember to check out the AI Lawyer Talking Tech daily podcast for stories like these and more.
- LexisNexis Completes Acquisition of Henchman
LexisNexis has acquired Henchman, a legal tech company specializing in data enrichment from Document Management Systems (DMS). This acquisition will enhance LexisNexis’ AI technology, providing personalized generative AI drafting solutions within Lexis+ AI and Lexis Create. Henchman’s technology will integrate with LexisNexis’ content, helping law firms and corporations extract insights from internal data repositories. - Clio Announces $900M Investment at $3B Valuation
Clio has secured a massive $900 million investment, valuing the company at $3 billion. This funding will be used to enhance its multi-product platform, particularly in AI and integrated legal payments, and accelerate global expansion. Clio aims to revolutionize the legal industry with generative AI and advanced analytics. - Thompson Street Acquires National Arbitration & Mediation
Thompson Street Capital Partners has acquired National Arbitration & Mediation (NAM), a leading provider of alternative dispute resolution services. This acquisition signifies the growing convergence between technology and legal services, expanding Thompson Street’s portfolio in legal tech investments. - USPTO Issues Patent Eligible Subject Matter Guidance for AI
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued new guidance on the subject matter eligibility of AI inventions. The guidance includes a two-step process for evaluating AI-related claims and aims to reduce uncertainties surrounding patent protection for AI innovations. - AI Copyright Lawsuit Update: OpenAI Dropped from Case
In a significant development, the open-source developers suing Microsoft and GitHub over the alleged use of open-source code in training AI coding assistants have dropped OpenAI from the lawsuit. The case now focuses on open-source licensing violations, highlighting complex legal issues surrounding AI development and raising concerns about the future of generative AI models and copyright law. - European Commission Workshop on Competition in Generative AI
The European Commission (EC) hosted a workshop addressing competition in generative AI. The workshop focused on market concentration, anticompetitive behavior, and the need for interoperability and diversity in open-source models. The EC emphasized the importance of international cooperation and balanced regulation to foster a competitive AI market. - LexisNexis Announces New Capabilities for Lexis+ AI
LexisNexis has introduced new features for its Lexis+ AI legal technology solution, improving usability and accuracy. Enhancements include more control over the AI assistant’s behavior, comprehensive case coverage, and integration with Shepard’s Knowledge Graph and advanced Large Language Models for more authoritative AI-generated responses. - Global IT Outage Hits Law Firms
A global IT outage caused by a CrowdStrike cybersecurity update disrupted various sectors, including law firms. Major law firms like Ashurst and Kirkland & Ellis experienced significant disruptions, highlighting the critical importance of IT availability and contingency planning in the legal industry. - Generative AI Adoption Trends in Law
New reports highlight trends in generative AI adoption within the legal profession. About 27% of legal professionals use GenAI tools, primarily for legal research, document review, and drafting. Despite concerns about accuracy and ethics, GenAI integration is steadily progressing, with many firms reporting increased efficiency and exploring alternative fee arrangements. - Harvey Raises $100M for AI Legal Copilot
Harvey, an AI-powered legal tech company, has raised $100 million in Series C funding, valuing the company at $1.5 billion. The investment will support the expansion of Harvey’s AI-native systems, which assist lawyers in handling complex legal work efficiently while ensuring data security and privacy.