The views were incredible. The conversations were even better.
Before Relativity Fest London officially kicked off, CDS welcomed clients, partners, and friends to the Savage Garden Rooftop for A Higher Perspective, our lunch overlooking London’s skyline. Between catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones, one thing quickly became clear: the legal industry isn’t talking about whether AI is coming anymore. It’s already here.
And as Relativity Fest London got underway, the conversation quickly shifted toward something bigger: how legal teams can turn increasingly complex data into real insight, real decisions, and real results. It’s a challenge we’re excited to help clients tackle every day.
AI Has Moved from Interesting to Essential
Stepping into Relativity Fest London, a common theme emerged. Whether it was during the keynote, in partner meetings, or over coffee between sessions, the conversation had clearly moved beyond experimentation.
The challenge isn’t simply adopting AI. It’s adopting AI responsibly, defensibly, and at scale. As data volumes continue to grow and regulatory expectations evolve, legal teams are looking for more than powerful technology. They’re looking for governance, expertise, and repeatable processes that help bridge what many referred to throughout the conference as “the readiness gap.”
The message was clear: innovation matters, but readiness matters even more.
Legal Data Intelligence Is Having a Moment
Another theme that resonated throughout the event was the continued evolution from traditional eDiscovery to Legal Data Intelligence. Legal professionals are being asked to do more than react to investigations and disputes. They’re being asked to identify patterns, surface risk, deliver insight, and help drive business decisions. In other words, legal work is expanding, and so are the opportunities for the professionals leading it.
Those themes weren’t just discussed throughout the week. They showed up in CDS’ own contributions to the event.
Mark Anderson, Managing Director of EMEA, presented “Legal Data Intelligence at the Core of Personal Development, Client Impact, and Business Strategy,” exploring how practitioners can move beyond traditional workflows and become proactive intelligence partners.
Later in the day, Michael Milicevic, VP of eDiscovery Products & Solutions, took the Spotlight Stage with “Leveraging AI to Unlock Insights from Non-Searchable Data.” His session focused on one of the industry’s biggest challenges: extracting insight from images, handwritten documents, low-quality scans, and other content that has historically required separate workflows and extensive manual review.
The room was packed, and the discussion sparked thoughtful conversations around practical AI use cases and what organizations can accomplish inside Relativity today when it comes to non-searchable data.
Outcomes Matter More Than Features
While technology was certainly front and center, many of the conversations throughout the week focused less on features and more on outcomes. Organizations aren’t simply looking to do the same work faster. They’re looking to give their teams time back for higher-value work.
During a live interview with Relativity, Kevin Chacon, Senior Manager, Consulting Services in Switzerland, put it simply: “What took days or weeks, they’re now able to do in hours, sometimes one or two days. That frees teams up to move on to bigger and better projects.”
Kevin also highlighted how organizations are using aiR Assist to accelerate early understanding before extending that intelligence into Case Strategy and aiR for Review. Ultimately, the conversation isn’t about replacing expertise. It’s about amplifying it.
Partnership and Community Still Matter
One of the things we appreciate most about Relativity Fest London is that it’s never just about technology. It’s about people.
Throughout the week, the CDS team connected with customers, partners, and members of the broader Relativity community from across Europe and beyond. Conversations ranged from AI adoption and Legal Data Intelligence to workflows, regulatory challenges, and emerging opportunities. And yes, there were a few very important conversations about where to catch the World Cup.
Relativity Fest London remains an important event because it brings together people facing many of the same challenges and creates opportunities to learn from one another. As Phil Saunders said during the keynote, “All of us know more than one of us.” That spirit of collaboration was evident throughout the week.
Looking Ahead
If there was one takeaway from Relativity Fest London 2026, it’s this: the future belongs to organizations that combine innovation with expertise.
AI is accelerating. Data continues to grow. Expectations are changing. But while technology continues to evolve, one thing hasn’t changed: Real people still deliver real results.
Continue the Conversation
Thanks to everyone who joined us in London. If you attended our sessions, joined us at our Higher Perspective lunch, or want to continue the conversation around AI, Legal Data Intelligence, and the future of discovery, we’d love to hear from you.
