In an era where legal professionals are increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence, a new platform seeks to redefine how AI contributes within law firms. useABI, recently unveiled by Abdulrasheed Ijaodola, a former mergers-and-acquisitions attorney at Greenberg Traurig, is considered an attempt to elevate AI from the role of mere assistant to that of a fully integrated “associate” in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape.
Traditionally, AI tools in legal settings required constant oversight and direction. useABI breaks from this norm, with Ijaodola asserting that it can prepare a purchase agreement markup, issues list, diligence report, and diligence summary for a new deal in around 30 minutes. Uniquely, the platform returns the issues list within five minutes, delivering an output comparable to that of an in-house associate, all without requiring detailed prompts from human users.
By positioning itself as a collaboration hub, useABI aims to streamline the M&A process by maintaining comprehensive documentation, issues, decisions, and institutional knowledge. Ijaodola, alongside co-founder Adam Usman, has designed the platform to allow partners, associates, and specialists to operate within a synchronized deal workspace, accessing and contributing to the same set of documents.
The development of useABI represents Ijaodola’s concrete response to his frustration with existing legal AI solutions that failed to capture the intricate decision-making processes inherent to M&A practice. His transition out of Greenberg Traurig earlier this year and collaboration with Usman, a developer with extensive experience in software and data systems, has culminated in a legal tech product that integrates proprietary intelligence with leading-edge AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
In addition to providing efficiency, the platform is also a repository of institutional memory. The “Insights” feature allows law firms to mine data from past transactions, offering new insights into negotiating tactics and document handling based on historical precedents within the firm. This feature, along with automated document analysis and customized firm preferences, sets useABI apart in a crowded legal AI market.
While some industry observers might question the need for another AI tool among many, useABI’s approach seeks to establish a sophisticated, decision-making AI presence rather than just another processing tool. As noted during an exclusive presentation detailed at LawNext, Ijaodola and Usman emphasize that their goal is not to create another chatbox, but to supplement the strategic capabilities of M&A teams with something akin to a digital colleague.