A successful lawyer, a tech nerd, and the CEO of Alexi, an AI-powered platform tailored for the legal industry, Mark recognized the need for AI integration firsthand during his time working at a law firm and knew he would create something that would bring solutions to the traditional law industry.
He founded Alexi with a clear mission to streamline workflows and provide litigators with a competitive edge in an increasingly complex legal landscape. Within only one year, Alexi was accepted into the prestigious Techstars AI accelerator program in Montreal and has raised over $15M in funding.
Mark Doble is now working with Canada’s leading law firms, including Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and shared with us his journey of transitioning from a lawyer to a tech entrepreneur.
What inspired your transition from practicing law to leading a tech company?
In law school, I spent half of my time building technology alongside my studies. Although I loved law school for its generalist education, I always knew that eventually, I’d transition into tech by either working for a technology company or by starting one. After spending a year at a law firm, I gained a solid understanding of the practice and business of law. However, my love for technology was very clear to me and I did not want to get trapped in conventional thinking, I could bring a fresh, innovative perspective to solving legal problems with software, so I’m glad I made the transition when I did.
How does Alexi help law firms in their operations and client services?
Alexi uses AI to help lawyers and firms understand the evidence better and analyze vast amounts of legal data, from contracts to case transcripts and evidence. In a given litigation file, lawyers typically handle thousands of documents, and understanding this information in detail is critical to properly advise clients. Our platform simplifies this by streamlining document review and analysis, ensuring that legal teams can work more efficiently and make better-informed decisions. By using AI to process large amount of legal material, Alexi enables lawyers to focus on providing correct help to their clients, improving outcomes while saving time and resources in the process.
How do you see AI reshaping the future of traditional legal practices?
AI is transforming the legal industry from a high-margin, low-volume model to one that’s more accessible and efficient. In the past, legal services were often limited by price, with many individuals unable to afford legal assistance unless the matter was worth thousands of dollars. Some lawyers take on a dozen files a year and make a lot of money on each file they take on. With AI, that threshold is dropping, making legal services more affordable and accessible to a broader population. As firms adopt AI tools, they will be able to streamline their workflows, reduce costs, and increase the volume of cases they can handle, all while improving service quality.
What are some obstacles to AI adoption in law, and how does Alexi address them?
The biggest barrier we faced was educating legal professionals about AI’s value. Initially, before tools like ChatGPT, the concept of generative AI was unfamiliar to most lawyers and many were also hesitant to adopt new technologies. Instead of focusing on the fancy aspects of AI, we prioritized focusing on value and how it could solve real problems, helping lawyers manage overwhelming amounts of data more effectively. If you focus on delivering value to your clients through the product and understanding the pain points, then half the battle is won. Our goal was never just to sell technology, but to show how it would meaningfully impact the day-to-day workings of firms.
What advice would you offer to someone aiming to innovate in a traditional industry?
It’s really important to recognize that some of the best innovations often to most other people look like bad ideas. They’re non-conventional and contrarian. In traditional industries like law, these ideas may be met with skepticism, but that’s a sign that you’re on the right path. My advice is simple, believe in your vision even when others don’t, and push through that initial negative criticism. Innovation really happens when this contrarian idea eventually becomes conventional. Test your ideas continuously, but hold on to your core conviction. The road to innovation is filled with rejection, but if you believe in your idea’s value, what seems radical can become the new norm.
Pragya Bisen | Contributing Writer
