The 12th annual Relativity Fest kicked off this week in Chicago earlier than over 1,800 attendees. A number of bulletins, probably the most important of which was that beginning in early 2026, the Relativity aiR for Review and aiR for Privilege merchandise will probably be included in the usual Relativity One package deal and pricing. The accompanying press launch saying the change describes these instruments as “generative AI options for authorized evaluate.”
In different phrases, what had been beforehand solely obtainable by paying a separate and extra cost will now primarily be free for Relativity clients.
Why Is This Essential?
That is necessary as a result of so many distributors attempt to create AI packages after which cost individually for them to generate income. Many of those merchandise are already costly and including an AI surcharge can place them out of attain for a lot of practitioners. And the concept there are separate costs for the state-of-the-art merchandise looks like nickel and diming that does little greater than breed distrust.
But these merchandise can save hundreds of {dollars} and numerous hours and are useful. Many AI instruments do little greater than make the wealthy richer, offering a bonus to the big companies that may afford state-of-the-art instruments. Providing the evaluate and privilege evaluate instruments as a part of the usual package deal ranges the enjoying subject. It additionally makes for higher outcomes when each side have entry to the identical instruments.
Phil Saunders, the Relativity CEO, put it this fashion: “We consider generative AI is the simple way forward for evaluate, and we’re making it straightforward for all RelativityOne clients to expertise the platform.”
In some respects, the choice displays the tradition of the corporate and specifically the philosophy of Saunders who has been in that place for nearly three years. In contrast to lots of these in C-suites of authorized tech firms, Saunders is refreshingly trustworthy. He’s self-deprecating. He’s humble however assured. He’s the type of CEO who goes to the considerably drab resort health club to work out with everybody else as an alternative of being chauffeured to someplace fancy along with his entourage. You recognize the type of man you need to have a beer with? That’s Saunders.
Some Honesty For a Change
Constant along with his model and philosophy, Saunders made quite a few revealing and candid feedback within the Keynote and afterwards in a press convention.
For instance, one of many instruments introduced lately by Relativity is aiR for Case Strategy, which helps customers create case methods. When requested why that device was additionally not being bundled in the usual package deal, his response was fascinating: frankly, he admitted that the product isn’t fairly prepared but. It’s not a “real-time, best-in-class” providing. Attention-grabbing and trustworthy: bundling aiR for Case Technique will apparently be mentioned solely when the product is prepared.
When requested about future mergers and acquisitions, Saunders additionally answered actually that the corporate had not been good at integrating acquired firms prior to now. He additionally famous {that a} lack of a tradition match simply fuels disruption. So, says Saunders, Relativity simply hasn’t been prepared for extra acquisitions.
Saunders additionally raised the query of the significance of (or maybe lack of significance) of focusing an excessive amount of on income: “simply because one thing builds income doesn’t imply it’s going to serve the purchasers properly… we have now to recover from the truth that income is like heroin, it’s addictive.”
Saunders additionally addressed the connection of Relativity with its companions. He firmly planted a flag: Relativity companions can’t take a Relativity product and mark it up. “It’s not serving the tip buyer by marking up a platform 5X to keep up the margins they as soon as had within the human evaluate enterprise after which doing a bunch of consulting companies and charging $800 an hour.”
Relationships with companions can usually be sensitive: it’s like the connection between franchisors and franchisees that I’m conversant in from working towards legislation. They want one another but when the franchisor doesn’t ensure that the franchisee provides the merchandise pretty and actually, everybody will get damage. It’s the identical right here, so it’s good to see Saunders make Relativity’s stance clear.
Saunders was additionally requested if the lately introduced Relativity Rel Labs program, an funding program that might assist authorized tech startups, may associate with or spend money on some socially oriented AI instruments. One other trustworthy reply: “that’s a very good query, we haven’t considered it.”
As Saunders put it, “if we don’t know one thing, we personal it.”
Firm Tradition
Concluding the press convention, Saunders summed up in just a few phrases what he thinks the tradition of Relativity is or must be. First, it approaches issues with “radical candor” the place concepts and for that matter, failures, are mentioned brazenly and robustly. It strives to be “humble however hungry.”
Platitudes? Perhaps. But when bundling key instruments with out charging further for them is any indication, this tradition could also be actual.
Plus, by the best way, says Saunders, radical candor lets him swear so much.
Why This Method Works
I don’t work for Relativity. I’m not there each day. I don’t use their merchandise. However in an period when many tech distributors overpromise underperforming merchandise or announce merchandise that will probably be supplied later, provide enhancements that don’t do a lot new, or provide merchandise as add-ons to their central core merchandise, Saunders’s honesty and transparency is refreshing.
As with most buyer relationships, on the finish of the day, it must be about belief. Honesty and transparency generate belief. Doing the suitable factor like together with key packages in the usual platform says so much. Notably in a enterprise the place relationships between authorized service suppliers and their purchasers hinge nearly solely on belief.
If solely different distributors adopted swimsuit, they is perhaps turn into trusted allies as an alternative of simply distributors.
Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and author. He publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a weblog dedicated to the examination of the strain between know-how, the legislation, and the apply of legislation.
