Revolutionizing Legal Work: How Robin AI Accelerates Contract Review

Robin AI is a legal co-pilot that supports attorneys. The startup joined the latest Comcast NBCUniversal AI Accelerator to develop its mission of improving operational efficiencies for legal practitioners.

Corporate lawyers often are responsible for meticulously reviewing lengthy documents line-by-line. Working on agreements can include the review of drafts, redlines and final copy, while comprehending the business and financial terms and needs of the business.

Enter Robin AI, a digital legal assistant powered by artificial intelligence designed to streamline the process of reviewing, negotiating, and querying contracts. Trained on over 4.5 million legal documents and 100 million legal clauses, Robin AI claims to enable attorneys to review contracts 80% faster.

Available as a Microsoft Word add-in, Robin AI optimizes the most time-consuming tasks for corporate attorneys. It facilitates the review of key provisions, locates specific information and clauses, checks defined terms, and suggests edits. Additionally, it provides summaries and reports for stakeholders. Lawyers interact with Robin AI using natural language, with no coding skills required. The tool is applicable to a range of documents including non-disclosure agreements, master service agreements, vendor agreements, and more.

“Imagine searching a 120-page document for a few words that could significantly alter the contract’s risk profile — or overlooking them, with severe implications for the business,” explains Lauren Watson, Head of Product Marketing at Robin AI. “Robin AI can pinpoint these critical areas in a single click, allowing for timely and necessary edits.”

Robin AI not only aims to enhance efficiency but also help alleviate the growing pressures on legal teams.

“Robin AI saves lawyers several hours each day,” said Watson. “For some, this means leaving the office by 7 p.m. for the first time in ages.”

The startup’s goal is not to replace lawyers but to augment their efficiency and simplify their work. Watson likens this to how computerized spreadsheets revolutionized accounting, making it more accessible and affordable.

“AI cannot replace the guidance and insight of a qualified lawyer,” Watson emphasizes. “Lawyers using Robin AI maintain complete control over whether to accept, modify, or reject the AI’s suggestions, ensuring that a human lawyer always oversees final decisions.”

From Concept to Creation: How Robin AI Began

Robin AI was created from a conversation between Richard Robinson and James Clough, long-time friends and former debate team competitors. Robinson, an attorney who worked with top law firms such as Clifford Chance and Boies, Schiller & Flexner, shared his frustrations about the repetitive aspects of his job. Clough, an expert in machine learning and AI, was surprised by the lack of AI-driven efficiencies available to help lawyers do their jobs. Together, they developed proprietary AI models trained across all stages of contract life—from initial drafts to attorney markups. By 2019, Robin AI was officially launched and has seen substantial growth, attracting clients like Blue Earth Capital and Yum! Brands and raising more than $44 million combined in Series A and B funding rounds.

In the spring of 2024, Robin AI participated in the Comcast NBCUniversal Vertical AI Accelerator, allowing the company to collaborate closely with legal and tech teams at Comcast, uncovering new partnership opportunities and refining their product based on direct feedback.

“This program has been invaluable. We’ve gained insights from founders who completed the program before and learned about navigating partnerships with a global corporation.”

— Lauren Watson, Head of Product Marketing, Robin AI

Security is another cornerstone of Robin AI’s strategy. The company collaborates with leaders like Anthropic & Amazon Web Services to develop secure AI models featuring best-in-class security measures such as single sign-ons and sophisticated user permissions.

“We are on the brink of a transformative era in legal technology,” Watson concludes, “and our goal is to lead this revolution, establishing Robin AI as the preeminent global provider of legal AI services.”

Source: LIFT Labs(https://lift.comcast.com/2024/06/05/revolutionizing-legal-work-how-robin-ai-accelerates-contract-review/)