In a corner of the legal-tech world where datasets are currency and algorithms are muscle, a new feud has erupted—Fastcase, now backed by Clio’s heavyweight resources, has hauled Alexi into federal court, accusing the rival firm of cutting corners while racing to bulk up its AI-driven research engine.
Fastcase’s grievance, filed in Washington, D.C., paints a picture of a licensing deal gone sour. According to the complaint, Alexi signed on in 2021 to access Fastcase’s library under tightly fenced conditions. But instead of merely referencing the material, Fastcase claims Alexi treated the database like a training ground—feeding it to generative AI models, serving up case law to users, and splashing Fastcase-linked identifiers across its interface in ways that blurred the lines of origin.
The fight comes at a pivotal moment for Fastcase. After merging with vLex in 2023, the company was swept up earlier this year in Clio’s billion-dollar acquisition of the combined platform. Clio now presides over an intellectual property trove it claims Alexi has exploited far beyond what the license permitted.
Alexi’s CEO has brushed off the allegations as little more than a pressure tactic, insisting the company operated firmly within the guardrails of the agreement and is prepared to prove it.
Fastcase’s lawsuit, however, fires on all cylinders: a demand for a permanent injunction, deletion of datasets and model weights trained on its content, profits surrendered, and damages—plus a pointed accusation that Alexi has been morphing its business model since 2024 to chase the very same market segment Fastcase and vLex serve.
Clio, which recently announced a valuation of $5 billion following a hefty funding infusion, is signaling that it intends to guard its newly acquired kingdom with vigilance.
