Why Germany has become a must for European Legaltech

Doctrine announces its establishment on the German market via a strategic equity investment in Dejure.org, a reference player in legal information in Germany. A structuring step for French Legaltech, which confirms its pan -European deployment ambition while choosing a localized, prudent and targeted approach.

Germany, often perceived as a conservative market in the legal field, nevertheless concentrates many signals favorable to a digital change. Second law market in Europe after the United Kingdom, it is based on a codified tradition, a dense ecosystem of law professionals, and a strong sensitivity to documentary rigor. About 165,000 lawyers exercise there, but digital tools remain little integrated into daily practices. According to a survey by Deutscher Anwaltverein, less than 20 % of firms use AI or advanced automation tools.

In this context, Dejure.org has established itself as a tool widely consulted for access to laws and court decisions. Doctrine, by associating, adopts an anchoring strategy in the existing. The company does not seek to impose a unique model, but to develop local synergies. “After France and Italy, we continue our European expansion and are very happy to announce our launch in Germany through Dejure, a historic player in the unique positioning on the German Legaltech market,” said Guillaume Carrère, CEO of doctrine.

The operation is based on a logic of complementarity. On the one hand, an exhaustive and recognized legal database. On the other, an artificial intelligence technology capable of assisting research, analysis and writing. The announced objective is to build a unified, efficient tool adapted to the specificities of German law. “With several years of experience in artificial intelligence and mature products in France, doctrine is well placed to quickly impose itself as a benchmark player on the German market,” said Oliver García, CEO of Dejure.org.

This movement comes as doctrine seeks to revive its dynamics after several years of litigation with traditional legal publishers. On May 7, 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal condemned Ferseti, a doctrine publisher, for unfair competition in the initial collection of its database. It has recognized the existence of an unworthy advantage, without ordering the abolition of the decisions concerned. The publishers, gathered in a joint press release, welcomed a decision which recalls, in their terms, that “innovation does not exempt from respect for the rules of law”.

On the German market, doctrine will be positioned against several historic players. Juris, Beck-online (CH Beck group), and Wolters Kluwer dominate the legal database segment. Other platforms such as Legal OS, Casavi or Bryter explore more focusing on the automation of legal processes. German regulations, more restrictive than that in force in France since the law for a digital republic, still limits the access open to first instance court decisions. The debates remain lively on the modalities of dissemination and anonymization.

The European Legaltech ecosystem remains fragmented, each country with its publishers and infrastructure. Doctrine is one of the few players to initiate a pan-European platform strategy, faced with Anglo-Saxon competitors such as Lexisnexis or Thomson Reuters, still little suitable for local specificities. Its strategy is based on a combination of owner technology, adaptation to national legal frameworks and local alliances.

In this landscape, the agreement with Dejure.org could allow it to quickly gain operational legitimacy, without going through an isolated evangelization phase. A more collaborative than frontal approach, which could draw the outlines of a new growth model for European Legaltechs.