Definely's 'first-of-its-kind' AI tool can catch consequential effects of contract edits

Definely has launched a new AI-powered tool that it claims is the first to solve a common (and often challenging) problem lawyers regularly encounter when drafting complex documents - flagging the full consequential effects of a contract change across the rest of the document.

The London-based legal tech company, founded by former Freshfields lawyers Nnamdi Emelifeonwu and Feargus MacDaeid, says "Cascade" is the first product capable of detecting first, second and even third-order impacts of a single edit. The aim is to cut the hours lawyers spend combing through documents for consequential changes and reduce the risk of missing a "critical dependency".

Definely, which raised a $30 million Series B round in June, is positioning Cascade as a plug-and-play feature for the contract drafting and review process. Built on the company’s existing agentic framework and its Draft tool, it uses the latest tech and large language models to scan agreements and pinpoint where other language changes are required.

The tool sits inside Microsoft Word, presenting changes in a consolidated view and allowing users to query them using natural language.

Closing the gap

While the legal tech market is now pretty crowded with AI-assisted contract analysis tools that can identify clauses and summarise content, the harder problem - understanding the domino effect of changes - has largely remained manual. Definely says the breakthrough should help lawyers cut the estimated 40-60% of their day spent on drafting and reviewing documents.

What they said

Chief strategy officer MacDaeid said: "Cascade is the next step for lawyers when it comes to having the right tools for high-value and complex work. Unlike conventional tools that barely scratch the surface, Cascade reveals up to three levels of impact from a single change."

Womble Bond Dickinson UK innovation chief Sam Dixon, who worked with the company during development, said Definely's "innovative approach to solving this challenge continues to impress and surprise me."

Definely on a roll

Cascade is the latest product release from Definely. In May, it entered the legal AI agent race with its Enhance tool, an AI assistant designed to cut review times by up to 70%.

For more on Definely's story, listen to our conversation with co-founder Nnamdi Emelifeonwu on The Non-Billable Podcast.