Precedent and template library
Firm-drafted precedents and clause banks with any client-derived facts removed.
NetDocumentsiManageWord
For Canadian law firms
License your firm's know-how, never your clients' confidences
Short answer: Canadian law firms can often license firm-authored know-how, including precedents stripped of client facts, practice checklists, training material and de-identified workflow history, to AI developers. Client information is protected by Law Society of Ontario Rule 3.3-1 and its counterparts, which go wider than privilege, so client files and anything privileged are never included.
AI developers want to learn how legal work is organized: the precedents, checklists and workflow a good firm builds over years. We help Canadian firms scope what's genuinely the firm's to license and keep everything confidential or privileged out.
Last updated · Sources linked inline · Buyer figures observed Oct 16, 2026
Free to start. No files or logins needed.
How does licensing work for a law firm?
In four steps, with no cost to start: share the basics, scope what the firm owns, get matched to buyers whose published criteria fit, then sign directly with the buyer, who pays you.
Tell us the basics
Headcount, years of records and the systems you use. No files, no logins, no client names.
We map what's yours
We separate firm-authored know-how from client information, which your law society's confidentiality rule protects far more broadly than privilege alone.
We match you to buyers
Only programs whose published criteria fit a Canadian law firm of your size and record language.
You sign with the buyer
The buyer handles de-identification under a written agreement and pays your firm directly. You keep your originals.
What records do AI buyers want from law firms?
The legal records AI buyers ask law firms for: Value sits in how work is done, not in any one client's file.
Matter workflow and checklists
Intake-to-closing steps, deadlines and task sequences by practice area.
ClioActionstepPCLaw
Internal know-how memos
Research notes and practice guides written for the firm, scrubbed of client facts.
SharePointNetDocuments
Practice-management history
De-identified matter stages, task timing and staffing patterns.
ClioPCLaw
Training and onboarding material
Articling and clerk training decks, manuals and quizzes.
SharePointGoogle Drive
Which AI buyers accept law firms, and what do they pay?
Buyer programs that list legal work. Public terms only. Canadian eligibility is confirmed buyer by buyer, because several programs say they prioritize US companies.
| Buyer | What they publish | Who they say qualifies | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mode (data.mode.inc) | Indicative $100K–$5M; about 3 months from first call to payment; no broker fee charged to the company. As published · verify | Minimum 6 staff for legal, 10 for accounting and finance, 30 for other businesses. Teams based mainly in the US are its strongest fit. | Buyer page via Who Sells Data register, observed Oct 16, 2026 |
| Mercor | No amounts published; paid by wire on delivery, typically 2–4 weeks after signing. As published · verify | Lists legal, finance and insurance, professional services and other sectors; connects to 100+ business tools. | Buyer page via Who Sells Data register, observed Oct 16, 2026 |
| Turing (Project Lazarus) | A single payment of up to $1M, confirmed after sampling (usually within a week). As published · verify | Operating, winding-down or closed companies. Wants communications, tickets, wikis and databases; code alone doesn't qualify. | Buyer page via Who Sells Data register, observed Oct 16, 2026 |
| Handshake AI | Published range $100K to $4M+; typically paid 30–60 days after the de-identified dataset is accepted. As published · verify | 20+ full-time employees and 3+ years in operation. | Buyer page via Who Sells Data register, observed Oct 16, 2026 |
Amounts are each buyer's own published ranges, ceilings or tiers, not offers, and they change. Most buyers are US companies and don't always state a currency, so confirm it in writing. Buyer names describe their public programs only. How the process works.
The Canadian line for law firms
What can't a Canadian law firm license?
Client confidences stay confidential. Law is the strictest vertical we work in, and that's the point: a narrow, clean scope is what makes a licence possible.
- LSO Rule 3.3-1. Ontario lawyers must hold in strict confidence all information about a client's business and affairs acquired in the professional relationship, unless the client authorizes disclosure or another listed exception applies. The commentary says the duty is wider than privilege, survives the retainer, and bars anyone benefiting from a client's confidential information. Other law societies have similar rules based on the Federation's Model Code.
- Privilege. Solicitor-client and litigation privilege are never licensed, whatever the consent position.
- Quebec. Professional secrecy applies to advocates and notaries, and Law 25 governs any personal information leaving Quebec.
- PIPEDA and provincial law. Personal information about clients, opposing parties and staff is regulated, and PIPEDA applies to cross-border transfers.
Sources: Law Society of Ontario, Rules of Professional Conduct, ch. 3 · OPC: privacy laws in Canada · Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec
Never included, for any law firm
- Client files, pleadings, agreements and correspondence
- Anything privileged
- Trust account records and client ID verification documents
- Conflict-check databases and client lists
- Anything under a sealing order, protective order or undertaking
- Staff HR and payroll files
General information, not legal advice. We ask every firm to confirm scope with its own counsel or regulator before signing.
What does a typical law firm deal look like?
An illustrative case: a 25-person Calgary firm (corporate, real estate and estates) with 12 years in Clio, NetDocuments and Microsoft 365. Client matter files are scoped out; the licensable set is the precedent library stripped of client facts, practice-area checklists and de-identified workflow history. Firms this size sit in the entry band buyers publish ($100K+), with Mode (from 6 staff) and Handshake (20+ full-time, 3+ years) as likely fits. Alberta's PIPA applies alongside PIPEDA for the cross-border transfer.
Illustrative only. Bands come from buyers' published tiers; not an offer or a valuation.
What do Canadian law firms ask?
Is a small firm too small?
Mode lists law firms from 6 staff; Handshake wants 20+ full-time employees and 3+ years in operation (as published, observed Oct 16, 2026). Below that, there are few published options.
Doesn't Rule 3.3-1 rule this out?
It rules out client information without consent. Firm-authored know-how with client facts removed is a different question, but get advice from your own counsel or your law society's practice management helpline before scoping.
Can we include closed files?
No. The duty of confidentiality continues after the retainer ends, so closed files are treated the same as active ones.
What about precedents built from client deals?
Only once client-identifying and deal-specific facts are removed, and only if your engagement terms allow it. We flag these for counsel review.
What does it cost?
Nothing to start. The estimate and the first call are free, and any terms are set out in writing before you sign anything.
Which guides help law firms?
Start with the pillar guide: licensing your firm's data to AI in Canada.
What could your firm's records be worth?
Three answers give you a rough range based on what buyers publish. Add your details if you want us to follow up. There's no cost to start.