Lawhive acquires conveyance specialist
An AI powered lawtech company backed by Google has acquired a UK law firm, in what is thought to be a first for the country’s legal industry.
The deal, confirmed yesterday, sees Lawhive — which raised nearly £40 million in funding last year — take over Woodstock Legal Services. The acquisition marks Lawhive’s entry into the regulated legal sector, with the aim of combining lawyers’ expertise with in-house AI tools.
Founded in 2014, Woodstock operates a consultancy model and specialises in property law and conveyancing.
Lawhive’s AI assistant, “Lawrence”, is designed to handle tasks typically carried out by paralegals or junior lawyers, including drafting documents, conducting research and managing cases.
Legal Cheek reported in 2023 that Lawrence passed the SQE with a score of 74%. Since then, Google Ventures, the venture capital arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has invested £9.5 million in the firm.
The acquisition will see the technology rolled out in areas such as conveyancing, where time-consuming paperwork often slows down transactions.
Lawhive currently operates across 12 consumer law practice areas including family, civil litigation and property. It says its AI allows lawyers to spend less time on admin and more time advising clients.
CEO and co-founder Pierre Proner said: “We believe that Lawhive’s vertically integrated model of a regulated law firm and tech platform for lawyers to work alongside AI colleagues, creates better outcomes for everyone.”
Woodstock founder Carly Jermyn added: “This partnership is about scaling our vision with the right kind of technology — AI that enhances our skills and values, rather than eroding them.”
According to Lawhive, its acquisition of Woodstock “forms part of a broader trend where lawyers are rethinking their relationship with work, clients are demanding better service, and AI is becoming an integral part of legal practice.”
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