While competitors chased demos, press releases, and conference buzz, Harvey quietly cracked the code on BigLaw's actual decision-making process. The insight? Law firms don't buy technology—they buy social proof. "What other firms are using this?" isn't just the first question; it's often the only question that matters in the initial evaluation. Harvey recruited former BigLaw partners who understood this psychology, then methodically secured Allen & Overy, Paul Weiss, and PwC as early adopters. No flashy marketing. No thought leadership campaigns. Just strategic relationship-building with the right insiders at the right firms.
But here's the deeper question: Is Harvey's success a reflection of superior technology, or superior understanding of legal culture's risk aversion? 🤔 Their LexisNexis integration is undeniably valuable—seamless access to internal knowledge and external legal databases in one platform is exactly what firms need. Yet the path to that partnership likely started with credibility built through those early prestigious adoptions, not technical superiority alone. For legal tech vendors, this suggests that product-market fit in BigLaw isn't just about solving problems—it's about solving them for the right firms first. For legal professionals, it raises questions about whether we're evaluating tools based on their merits or their pedigree.
The lesson isn't to abandon innovation for influence-peddling, but to recognize that in a profession built on precedent, early validation from respected peers often matters more than early features. Harvey didn't just build better AI—they built better trust.
📖 https://abovethelaw.com/2025/06/what-harvey-got-that-the-rest-of-us-missed/
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