Relativity Set January 2028 Cloud Migration Deadline
Legal services firms must transition new matters to the cloud-based Relativity aiR platform by January 1, 2028.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Remote Work
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Relativity has formalized a mandate requiring all new legal matters to be hosted on its Relativity aiR cloud platform by January 1, 2028. The shift aligns with the firm's broader strategy to prioritize frontier AI model integrations over traditional legal AI partnerships.
Why it matters
Management is forcing this transition to capture efficiencies as corporate clients increasingly favor utilizing multiple frontier AI models. By shifting clients from capital-expense to operating-expense models, the firm seeks to sustain growth in its primary revenue stream.
Relativity aiR generated 84% of total annual recurring revenue as of June 2026, compared to over 75% in January 2025. Founder Andrew Sieja and investor ICONIQ each maintain a nearly 25% ownership stake in the company.
The players
Relativity
A cloud-based legal technology company that provides e-discovery and compliance software to global law firms and corporate legal departments.
Phil Saunders
The current CEO of Relativity who is leading the company's shift toward frontier AI integrations and cloud-only operations.
Chris Brown
The president of Relativity appointed in July 2026 to oversee the company's operational strategy and market expansion.
Andrew Sieja
The founder of Relativity who retains a significant ownership position of nearly 25% in the company.
Silver Lake
A private equity firm that functions as the largest shareholder of Relativity, steering its long-term financial and capital strategy.
The details
To facilitate this migration, the company provides partners with credits and funding designed to offset the transition from capital-intensive infrastructure to operational-expense models. In 2027, the firm will launch an MCP connector to enable matter intelligence, allowing external tools to query data. Furthermore, the integration of Gavel, acquired in June 2026, is scheduled to enter an advanced access program to bolster automation capabilities.
Timeline
January 2025: Initial cloud migration deadline announced.
June 2026: The company acquired document automation firm Gavel.
July 2026: Chris Brown was appointed as president of Relativity.
2027: Planned release of matter intelligence via MCP connector.
January 1, 2028: Deadline for all new matters to reside on the cloud platform.
Market Landscape
This mandate follows the broader enterprise software industry trend of forcing users to transition from on-premises capital-expenditure models to cloud-based operating expenses. It marks a departure from legacy integration paths as Relativity prioritizes frontier AI labs over specialized legal software.
Firms currently utilizing on-premises infrastructure should audit their existing matter load and begin budgeting for the move to Relativity aiR before the January 1, 2028 deadline. Consult with your financial team to evaluate how transitioning to an operating-expense model will impact your annual cash flow.
The takeaway
The firm is prioritizing frontier AI agility to ensure its tools remain standard on the desktops of legal practitioners. Operators should monitor the 2027 launch of the MCP connector as a critical signal of how external data tools will integrate with their cloud-hosted case files.
What happens next
The Gavel integration is scheduled to enter the Relativity advanced access program in 2026, followed by the deployment of the MCP connector for matter intelligence in 2027.
Further reading
For broader trends on how firms are managing tech infrastructure updates, see Remote Work.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LawSites.
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