New York, March 16, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT
RELX’s U.S. shares edged up 0.9% early Monday afternoon. The move followed news from LexisNexis that Willkie Farr & Gallagher picked the Protégé platform to run legal AI workflows firmwide. Not a huge rally, but enough to nudge the stock higher and give investors a clear sign of commercial traction.
Timing is key here. RELX has been caught in the crosshairs for weeks, as investors debate if generative AI could undermine legal database and workflow providers. Back in early February, the launch of Anthropic’s legal plug-in for its Claude AI system set off a sharp drop in shares of RELX, Thomson Reuters, and Wolters Kluwer.
On Monday, LexisNexis announced that Willkie plans to roll out Protégé across the entire firm, not just as a limited pilot. RELX initially launched Protégé as a U.S. commercial preview back in January, then shifted the tool to general availability on Feb. 24.
Just last week, LexisNexis announced it brought Anthropic’s Legal Plugin into its Lexis+ with Protégé, pulling onto its own platform a tool that had earlier shaken up legal-tech shares. According to the company, this broadens the AI options lawyers can access in their daily work.
LexisNexis’ global legal chief, Sean Fitzpatrick, said Feb. 24 that lawyers now want “integrated legal AI work environments.” The company claims its platform brings automation to drafting, review, analysis, and citation checks, all handled from a single workspace. GlobeNewswire
RELX is sticking to its message for investors. On Feb. 12, the company reported that legal revenue climbed 9% in 2025—the division’s strongest gain—driven by demand for AI-powered legal tools and analytics. Chief Executive Erik Engstrom pointed to “a further step up in growth in Legal.” Relx
RELX reported adjusted operating profit climbing to 3.34 billion pounds as revenue reached 9.59 billion pounds, and projected robust growth again in 2026. Speaking to Reuters after the release, CFO Nick Luff credited RELX’s strength to its ever-evolving content and in-house algorithms, which he said provide professional users with “the right judgments.” Reuters
Still, risks linger. On March 5, Morningstar analyst Rob Hales flagged the pace of AI development as grounds for bumping up RELX’s uncertainty rating, though he kept his call that shares remain undervalued. Hales has also pointed out that RELX, Thomson Reuters, and Wolters Kluwer all took a hit after Anthropic’s expansion into legal tech.
Willkie’s Monday announcement leaves the broader debate unresolved. What it does offer, though, is a clear signal for investors: a major law firm is adopting RELX’s tech firmwide even as lawyers and tech vendors continue hashing out AI’s impact on legal practice.
