{"id":124310,"date":"2025-06-26T12:03:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T20:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/06\/26\/what-harvey-got-that-the-rest-of-us-missed\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T12:03:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T20:03:39","slug":"what-harvey-got-that-the-rest-of-us-missed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/06\/26\/what-harvey-got-that-the-rest-of-us-missed\/","title":{"rendered":"What Harvey Got\u00a0That The Rest Of Us Missed"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s been some big news\u00a0in legal tech circles recently.\u00a0Harvey<\/a>, a broad-based AI provider to law firms\u00a0across practice areas and workflows, and LexisNexis<\/a>\u00a0announced\u00a0a strategic alliance\u00a0that\u00a0will\u00a0enable\u00a0Harvey users\u00a0to\u00a0now have access to\u00a0and\u00a0integrate\u00a0with\u00a0the LexisNexis database. This is huge since firms using Harvey to leverage internal data will now be able to leverage the LexisNexis database for\u00a0public\u00a0legal\u00a0materials\u00a0within the Harvey platform.\u00a0I have\u00a0written\u00a0before<\/a>\u00a0that this is akin to the holy grail since it means a one stop location for AI needs.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why it matters:\u00a0it means that\u00a0Harvey\u00a0customers can use\u00a0the tool to\u00a0respond to natural language queries based not only on\u00a0internal\u00a0documents but also on\u00a0case law in the\u00a0LexisNexis extensive\u00a0database.\u00a0<\/em>It means Harvey users no longer need to toggle between internal knowledge bases and external research tools. Everything\u00a0can\u00a0happen in one place, accelerating workflows and reducing cognitive friction. For firms evaluating AI tools, that kind of seamless integration is\u00a0a real benefit and\u00a0incentive.<\/p>\n

How Did Harvey Do It?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is\u00a0interesting\u00a0though is how Harvey\u00a0became such a big player in legal AI so quickly. The\u00a0typical\u00a0game plan for vendors in the legal tech and AI field is to make a big\u00a0announcement. Offer a lot of press releases\u00a0to the media\u00a0about what they are doing. Invite media and potential customers for\u00a0product\u00a0demos of anything and everything. Show up at legal tech shows like\u00a0LegalWeek\u00a0and host\u00a0big\u00a0and elaborate\u00a0parties.<\/p>\n

Harvey did little of this. Harvey\u00a0representatives\u00a0only recently began showing up at the big shows. They\u00a0have\u00a0provided\u00a0little information to media\u00a0representatives\u00a0about their products. Most of us reporting on legal tech have had no demos of the Harvey product and only get word-of-mouth information from users about the product, what it does, and how well it performs. Harvey\u00a0representatives\u00a0don\u2019t regularly appear on legal tech podcasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did\u00a0it\u00a0get to the point that Zach Abramowitz, a\u00a0well-known legal tech commentator,\u00a0last\u00a0week proclaimed<\/a>\u00a0that the legal AI\u00a0competition\u00a0was over and Harvey won? I have to admit I\u00a0laughed\u00a0a little when I first saw\u00a0Abramowitz\u2019s post\u00a0since\u00a0I wasn\u2019t\u00a0sure\u00a0if he was serious or writing\u00a0tongue\u00a0in cheek.\u00a0I\u2019m not\u00a0laughing now.<\/p>\n

The Right Question<\/strong><\/p>\n

So\u00a0what\u00a0did Harvey do?\u00a0Harvey\u00a0was founded in 2022\u00a0by\u00a0Winston Weinberg, a former O\u2019Melveny & Meyers\u00a0litigator,\u00a0and Gabriel Pereyra,\u00a0a former DeepMind\u00a0researcher.\u00a0A scant three years ago. It built its product on ChatGPT and\u00a0fine tuned\u00a0it\u00a0for legal. Okay. So have a lot of others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What was different? Harvey understood something that I knew but forgot. The single most-asked question by law firm\u00a0representatives\u00a0when\u00a0confronted\u00a0with a product sales pitch,\u00a0particularly\u00a0when it comes to\u00a0new\u00a0technology\u00a0like\u00a0AI and tech in\u00a0general\u00a0is: What other firms are using this product?\u00a0<\/p>\n

To busy lawyers and legal professionals,\u00a0use by others is\u00a0the talisman of a good product. Of a reliable product. Of a mainstream product. Not demos, although that may come later. Not what will it do, although that\u2019s later as well.\u00a0The fact that other firms are\u00a0using it\u00a0is THE validation question. Being able to answer that question in a way that resonates gets you in the door.\u00a0It provides credibility.\u00a0It gets you to the next level. Yes, you\u00a0have to\u00a0have a good product. But that\u2019s table stakes.<\/p>\n

What set Harvey apart?\u00a0It started by recruiting\u00a0former\u00a0Biglaw partners to join their team\u00a0who understood how\u00a0Biglaw\u00a0works, what\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0interested in, and how it\u00a0makes\u00a0technology\u00a0decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Harvey then went to the\u00a0Biglaw\u00a0firm Allen & Overy with\u00a0its some\u00a03,500\u00a0lawyers and talked it into doing an extensive trial. That was the first major hurdle. The second major hurdle:\u00a0securing\u00a0the Allen & Overy adoption in early 2023. That led to Harvey securing a trial and adoption\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0Biglaw\u00a0firm\u00a0Paul Weiss.\u00a0Then Harvey\u00a0secured a strategic\u00a0parentship\u00a0with the Big Four\u00a0accounting firm PwC.<\/p>\n

The Right Answer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now Harvey\u00a0could give a\u00a0good answer\u00a0to\u00a0the fundamental\u00a0and first question\u00a0law firms ask. It had\u00a0commitments from\u00a0well-known\u00a0firms\u00a0and it was off to the races.\u00a0It went from a\u00a0stealth startup to a $5 billion\u00a0valuation\u00a0by following its own playbook and understanding\u00a0its customers\u2019\u00a0most\u00a0fundamental\u00a0concern.<\/p>\n

Instead of trying to dazzle with early demos or influencer endorsements, it focused quietly on\u00a0refining and\u00a0testing the\u00a0model\u00a0and\u00a0building relationships with the right people inside the right firms.\u00a0And understanding its potential customers.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The post What Harvey Got\u00a0That The Rest Of Us Missed<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

There\u2019s been some big news\u00a0in legal tech circles recently.\u00a0Harvey<\/a>, a broad-based AI provider to law firms\u00a0across practice areas and workflows, and LexisNexis<\/a>\u00a0announced\u00a0a strategic alliance\u00a0that\u00a0will\u00a0enable\u00a0Harvey users\u00a0to\u00a0now have access to\u00a0and\u00a0integrate\u00a0with\u00a0the LexisNexis database. This is huge since firms using Harvey to leverage internal data will now be able to leverage the LexisNexis database for\u00a0public\u00a0legal\u00a0materials\u00a0within the Harvey platform.\u00a0I have\u00a0written\u00a0before<\/a>\u00a0that this is akin to the holy grail since it means a one stop location for AI needs.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why it matters:\u00a0it means that\u00a0Harvey\u00a0customers can use\u00a0the tool to\u00a0respond to natural language queries based not only on\u00a0internal\u00a0documents but also on\u00a0case law in the\u00a0LexisNexis extensive\u00a0database.It means Harvey users no longer need to toggle between internal knowledge bases and external research tools. Everything\u00a0can\u00a0happen in one place, accelerating workflows and reducing cognitive friction. For firms evaluating AI tools, that kind of seamless integration is\u00a0a real benefit and\u00a0incentive.<\/p>\n

How Did Harvey Do It?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is\u00a0interesting\u00a0though is how Harvey\u00a0became such a big player in legal AI so quickly. The\u00a0typical\u00a0game plan for vendors in the legal tech and AI field is to make a big\u00a0announcement. Offer a lot of press releases\u00a0to the media\u00a0about what they are doing. Invite media and potential customers for\u00a0product\u00a0demos of anything and everything. Show up at legal tech shows like\u00a0LegalWeek\u00a0and host\u00a0big\u00a0and elaborate\u00a0parties.<\/p>\n

Harvey did little of this. Harvey\u00a0representatives\u00a0only recently began showing up at the big shows. They\u00a0have\u00a0provided\u00a0little information to media\u00a0representatives\u00a0about their products. Most of us reporting on legal tech have had no demos of the Harvey product and only get word-of-mouth information from users about the product, what it does, and how well it performs. Harvey\u00a0representatives\u00a0don\u2019t regularly appear on legal tech podcasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did\u00a0it\u00a0get to the point that Zach Abramowitz, a\u00a0well-known legal tech commentator,\u00a0last\u00a0week proclaimed<\/a>\u00a0that the legal AI\u00a0competition\u00a0was over and Harvey won? I have to admit I\u00a0laughed\u00a0a little when I first saw\u00a0Abramowitz\u2019s post\u00a0since\u00a0I wasn\u2019t\u00a0sure\u00a0if he was serious or writing\u00a0tongue\u00a0in cheek.\u00a0I\u2019m not\u00a0laughing now.<\/p>\n

The Right Question<\/strong><\/p>\n

So\u00a0what\u00a0did Harvey do?\u00a0Harvey\u00a0was founded in 2022\u00a0by\u00a0Winston Weinberg, a former O\u2019Melveny & Meyers\u00a0litigator,\u00a0and Gabriel Pereyra,\u00a0a former DeepMind\u00a0researcher.\u00a0A scant three years ago. It built its product on ChatGPT and\u00a0fine tuned\u00a0it\u00a0for legal. Okay. So have a lot of others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What was different? Harvey understood something that I knew but forgot. The single most-asked question by law firm\u00a0representatives\u00a0when\u00a0confronted\u00a0with a product sales pitch,\u00a0particularly\u00a0when it comes to\u00a0new\u00a0technology\u00a0like\u00a0AI and tech in\u00a0general\u00a0is: What other firms are using this product?\u00a0<\/p>\n

To busy lawyers and legal professionals,\u00a0use by others is\u00a0the talisman of a good product. Of a reliable product. Of a mainstream product. Not demos, although that may come later. Not what will it do, although that\u2019s later as well.\u00a0The fact that other firms are\u00a0using it\u00a0is THE validation question. Being able to answer that question in a way that resonates gets you in the door.\u00a0It provides credibility.\u00a0It gets you to the next level. Yes, you\u00a0have to\u00a0have a good product. But that\u2019s table stakes.<\/p>\n

What set Harvey apart?\u00a0It started by recruiting\u00a0former\u00a0Biglaw partners to join their team\u00a0who understood how\u00a0Biglaw\u00a0works, what\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0interested in, and how it\u00a0makes\u00a0technology\u00a0decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Harvey then went to the\u00a0Biglaw\u00a0firm Allen & Overy with\u00a0its some\u00a03,500\u00a0lawyers and talked it into doing an extensive trial. That was the first major hurdle. The second major hurdle:\u00a0securing\u00a0the Allen & Overy adoption in early 2023. That led to Harvey securing a trial and adoption\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0Biglaw\u00a0firm\u00a0Paul Weiss.\u00a0Then Harvey\u00a0secured a strategic\u00a0parentship\u00a0with the Big Four\u00a0accounting firm PwC.<\/p>\n

The Right Answer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now Harvey\u00a0could give a\u00a0good answer\u00a0to\u00a0the fundamental\u00a0and first question\u00a0law firms ask. It had\u00a0commitments from\u00a0well-known\u00a0firms\u00a0and it was off to the races.\u00a0It went from a\u00a0stealth startup to a $5 billion\u00a0valuation\u00a0by following its own playbook and understanding\u00a0its customers\u2019\u00a0most\u00a0fundamental\u00a0concern.<\/p>\n

Instead of trying to dazzle with early demos or influencer endorsements, it focused quietly on\u00a0refining and\u00a0testing the\u00a0model\u00a0and\u00a0building relationships with the right people inside the right firms.\u00a0And understanding its potential customers.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s been some big news\u00a0in legal tech circles recently.\u00a0Harvey, a broad-based AI provider to law firms\u00a0across practice areas and workflows, and LexisNexis\u00a0announced\u00a0a strategic alliance\u00a0that\u00a0will\u00a0enable\u00a0Harvey users\u00a0to\u00a0now have access to\u00a0and\u00a0integrate\u00a0with\u00a0the LexisNexis database. This is huge since firms using Harvey to leverage internal data will now be able to leverage the LexisNexis database for\u00a0public\u00a0legal\u00a0materials\u00a0within the Harvey platform.\u00a0I have\u00a0written\u00a0before\u00a0that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":124311,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/AdobeStock_318590519-scaled-sIliai.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}