NextLaw Labs Invests in Beagle.AI

Nextlaw Labs, the legal tech innovation platform of law firm Dentons, has made an investment in Beagle, a legal AI startup focused on legal contract analysis and assistance.

This is a major step for the Canadian start-up Beagle, which recently had been growing very rapidly with deals with VW in Germany, as well as a joint venture with Australian law firm, Corrs, to promote Beagle to companies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dan Jansen, chief executive of Nextlaw Labs, said: ‘We have seen a great deal of support from the Canadian investment community for the emerging legal tech industry and are thrilled to be working with Beagle, one of the most innovative tech companies in Canada.’

‘We see a prime opportunity to transpose Beagle’s self-service contract review model to fit within a Big Law client environment like Dentons. Tools like Beagle are an efficiency boost for transactional legal teams, translating into significant cost savings for Dentons’ clients worldwide,’ he added.

Dentons lawyers in selected transactional practice areas will initially pilot Beagle software in Canada and the UK.

Cian O’Sullivan, founder of Beagle, said: ‘Beagle is committed to making a global impact for law firms and their clients, as well as non-lawyers and small business owners who may not have had access to contract review capabilities before. We are excited to be working with Nextlaw Labs.’

Beagle marks Nextlaw Labs’ second investment in the Canadian market and ninth global investment since its launch in May 2015. Other legal tech start-ups include:

  • ROSS Intelligence (Canada): A developer that leverages IBM Watson-powered cognitive computing to refine expert legal research.
  • Apperio (UK): A startup focused on streamlining matter management.
  • Doxly (US): A secure, cloud-based platform designed to simplify corporate legal transactions.
  • Brexit Contract Review Solution (UK): A tool developed in partnership with RAVN systems to help clients navigate the legal complexities surrounding Brexit.
  • Libryo (South Africa): A risk management SaaS (software as a service) solution enabling users to understand legal obligations in any jurisdiction.
  • Clause (US): A data-driven smart contracting platform that leverages the Internet of Things.
  • QualMet (US): The legal industry’s first solution to measure and improve service quality between in-house and outside counsel.
  • Hire an Esquire (US): A startup transforming the legal marketplace with on-demand workforce technology.