Litera adds AI search & growth tools for law firms

Litera has launched Firm AI Search in its Lito legal AI agent and added new business development intelligence tools to Foundation 365, aimed at law firms seeking broader access to internal knowledge and client relationship data.

The update brings matter, client, and expertise data into a conversational search interface within Lito, allowing lawyers and knowledge professionals to query firm information in natural language from the tools they already use. Foundation 365 also now includes features that rank business development signals by potential revenue value and track relationship strength using communication metadata.

Firm AI Search connects data across Foundation, matter systems, and expertise databases. Users can pull up matter, client, and people records through Lito Lookups by using an @mention in the chat interface.

The search tool is generally available to Foundation Cloud customers, with the initial rollout focused on US-based firms. Litera is also providing adoption support for customers using the product.

Growth focus

Alongside the search launch, Litera has expanded its GrowthTech offering for law firms' marketing and business development teams. The additions include a Foundation 365 integration with Foundation Proactive ERM powered by Postilize, a company founded in 2023 that specialises in relationship management tools for legal practices.

According to Litera, the integration uses email and calendar metadata, rather than message content, to identify relationship trends and communication patterns. It is designed to show whether client and contact relationships are strong, weakening, or at risk, then combine that information with firm experience and client data inside Foundation 365.

Another feature, described as Proactive Signals with Monetary Value, links business development signals with historical matter and financial data. It is intended to help firms prioritise opportunities by likely revenue impact rather than treating all signals the same way.

Litera also introduced Proactive Cleanse, aimed at keeping customer relationship management records current as contacts move organisations or change job titles and details. The company said the product identifies and validates those changes with 80% to 85% accuracy and capture rates, compared with 30% from email signature scraping alone.

Foundation is already widely used in the legal sector, according to Litera. The platform is used by more than 300 law firms, including seven of the eight fastest-growing firms globally, six of the 10 firms with the highest profits per equity partner, and 73 of the 100 most-ranked Chambers firms.

Market shift

The launch comes as legal technology suppliers try to move AI products beyond drafting and document review into knowledge management, business development, and client relationship work. Law firms have been looking for ways to make fragmented internal data more accessible while tying technology investment more directly to revenue generation.

Avaneesh Marwaha, Chief Executive Officer of Litera, said the new tools reflect that shift. "The top Am Law and G200 firms in growth and profitability have been relying on Foundation for many years," Marwaha said. "Firm AI Search in Lito now delivers a level of immediate access, connection, and action that we could only dream of a few years ago. Now, lawyers and knowledge professionals have a single conversational interface or inbox to immediately access deep institutional expertise, relationship patterns, and outside market signals. Our North Star has always been about 'maniacal client service,' and we are excited to provide our law firm customers with an entirely new advantage starting today."

Industry analysts have also been watching whether firms can connect AI tools to the data they already hold rather than relying only on generic models. That issue has become more pressing as firms seek practical uses for AI within established workflows.

"As legal organizations move from experimenting with AI to embedding it in day-to-day work, the firms that gain an advantage will be those that connect AI to their own institutional knowledge and relationship data," said Ryan O'Leary, Research Director, Privacy and Legal Technology, IDC. "The technology must fit naturally into existing workflows, and firms need education and support to apply it effectively."

Litera serves more than 15,000 customers worldwide and more than 1 million daily users, including 99% of the Am Law 100.