Google-Backed Lawtech Makes UK History with Woodstock Deal 2025

Prime Highlights:

Lawhive, a Google-backed lawtech firm, has acquired Woodstock Legal Services, marking the first acquisition of a UK law firm by a technology-driven platform.
The partnership aims to streamline legal processes, allowing lawyers to focus more on clients and complex legal matters.

Key Facts:

Woodstock Legal Services, founded in 2014, specializes in property law and conveyancing and operates under a consultancy model.
Lawhive raised nearly £40 million last year and received a £9.5 million investment from Google Ventures to support its expansion.

Key Background:

Lawhive, a fast-growing lawtech company backed by Google Ventures, has completed the acquisition of Woodstock Legal Services, marking what is believed to be the first time a technology-driven platform has taken over a regulated law firm in the UK.

The deal, confirmed this week, represents Lawhive’s official entry into the regulated legal sector. The company says its goal is to create a system where technology helps reduce routine tasks, allowing lawyers to dedicate more time to clients and complex legal matters.

Woodstock Legal Services was established in 2014, but has been operating as a consultancy under a property law and conveyancing umbrella. This move will see the firm work together with Lawhive to ensure that processes like property transactions are made quicker and with ease, reducing the number of papers that tend to delay transactions.

Lawhive, which secured nearly £40 million in funding last year, has built tools capable of supporting lawyers with document preparation, case management, and research. Junior staff of the legal department normally carry out these functions, but the technology used by the company today has made the work easier. Legal Cheek in 2023 said one of the systems at Lawhive passed the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) with a score of 74%.

The purchase follows Google Ventures’ investment of £9.5 million, which further portrays the confidence of the investors in the future of the platform. Currently, Lawhive operates across 12 consumer law practice areas, including family, property, and civil litigation.

Pierre Proner, CEO and co-founder of Lawhive, said: “Our model combines a regulated law firm with a technology platform, creating better outcomes for both lawyers and clients.”

Woodstock founder Carly Jermyn added: “This partnership is about scaling our vision with the right technology, enhancing our skills and values rather than replacing them.”

Industry experts say this move reflects a broader shift in the legal sector, where clients expect quicker, more efficient services and firms are exploring new ways of working.\