Google Ventures-backed Lawhive has acquired conveyancing firm Woodstock, in what is believed to be the first time a legal AI company has bought a law firm.
The deal will see Woodstock’s lawyers work alongside Lawhive’s AI assistant, aimed at cutting admin in the £2 billion UK conveyancing market.
London-based legal tech startup Lawhive has acquired regional conveyancing firm Woodstock, in a deal that's understood to be the first time a legal AI company has bought a law firm.
Backed by Google Ventures and fresh off a $40 million Series A funding round last December, Lawhive operates an AI-powered legal services marketplace connecting individuals and small businesses with lawyers.
It also offers an AI assistant for small firms, dubbed "Lawrence". The deal seems to be aimed at integrating Lawrence into Woodstock’s services, particularly in residential conveyancing, one of the most admin-heavy areas of mass market law.
AI meets conveyancing
Woodstock operates a consultancy model with more than 50 lawyers and a focus on residential property work. Its team will keep the Woodstock brand but now work alongside Lawrence, which Lawhive says can handle much of the paperwork that clogs up transactions in the £2 billion UK conveyancing market.
Lawrence, billed as an "AI colleague", is capable of tasks at the level of a junior lawyer - drafting documents, researching cases, and managing routine admin. It even scored 81% on the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, well above the pass mark. The company says the idea is not to replace lawyers but to free them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on client relationships.
Lawhive CEO Pierre Proner said the deal creates "a vertically integrated model of a regulated law firm and tech platform for lawyers to work alongside AI colleagues", something he argues "creates better outcomes for everyone."
Bigger picture
The acquisition comes as the UK legal sector begins to see more direct convergence between AI providers and regulated firms.
Earlier this year, Garfield AI, co-founded by former City disputes lawyer Philip Young and billed as the UK’s first AI-powered law firm, secured SRA approval. Garfield uses AI to automate small debt claims for businesses and individuals through the small claims court process.
In Big Law world, meanwhile, Cleary acquired London-based legal AI company Springbok earlier this year, bringing in a team of engineers and data scientists to accelerate internal product development and build tools for clients.
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