Clio makes a long-term bet on Barcelona to develop the AI behind its legal platform

Clio, the Canadian technology group for law firms, is making a long-term bet on Barcelona. A year after acquiring the Catalan company vLex in a deal worth more than €850 million ($1 billion), the group aims to develop the foundational technology for all its products in the city, meaning the artificial intelligence behind everything it offers to law firms and academic institutions in the United States, Canada, and other countries, including Spain.

“I am very impressed with Barcelona's digital sector. There is skilled talent here, and we are accelerating the hiring of AI specialists”

Jack Newton, CEO of Clio

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The acquisition was a milestone for Catalonia's digital ecosystem and has since strengthened Clio's presence and AI capabilities in Barcelona. In just under a year, the Barcelona team has grown from 74 to 100 employees.

Speaking at a company event held at the Barcelona Stock Exchange, Jack Newton, CEO of Clio, said, "I am very impressed with Barcelona's digital sector. There is skilled talent here, and we are accelerating the hiring of AI specialists."

The strategy builds on the legacy of vLex, the legal database launched in 2000 by brothers Lluís and Àngel Faus, originally from Olot, which grew into one of the largest in the world. The Faus brothers remain with the company as executives and minority shareholders of the Canadian group. "The root of this activity lies in the R&D we developed at vLex," they said.

About Clio

Clio is a Canadian technology group for law firms with annual revenue of around $500 million (about €440 million) and 2,500 employees worldwide. Barcelona is its fourth-largest office, after Toronto, Vancouver, and Dublin, and the technology developed in Barcelona makes it a strategic location for the group.

Source: Clio