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LexisNexis History - Born to innovation

Our history boasts on some of the most innovative products of their times. The Lexis online database was invented years before the World Wide Web. We are proud of where we came from and are determined to ensure we are always viewed as pioneers and first movers in our industry. Follow our journey from the 1800s to date by selecting options below.

Select key events in LexisNexis History

1800s

1973

1979

1988

1994

2000

2002

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

1800s

1818: Henry Butterworth founded Butterworth's in London.
1866: Matthew Bender is founded in Albany, New York.
1868: Martindale-Hubbell is created in Summit, New Jersey.
1873: Shepard's® is created in Colorado Springs, Colorado. These authoritative legal publishers would eventually become part of LexisNexis.

1973

Mead Data Central introduces LEXIS® and NAARS services. LEXIS provides the full text of Ohio and New York codes and cases, the U.S. code, and some federal case law. NAARS is the National Automated Accounting Research Service, a tax database from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) paves the way for reliable electronic data delivery. The following year Lexis® service pioneers online legal research by allowing attorneys to search case law database in firm via private telecommunications network.

1979

Introduction of 1200 baud modems launches new era of high-speed data transmission. LexisNexis® UBIQ™ terminals give attorneys first-ever desktop access to Lexis® service. The Nexis® news database service is introduced providing The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Economist, U.S. News & World Report, Dun’s Review and Reuters and Associated Press news wires. The IBM PC is introduced two years later.

1988

LexisNexis acquires The Michie Company, legal publishers of state codes and statutes founded in 1897. The one millionth LEXIS-NEXIS user ID is issued the following year.

1994 :

Reed Elsevier acquired LexisNexis. Begun in Dayton, Ohio as a contractor to the U.S. Air Force in 1966, its electronic data-search service became the first to retrieve full-text documents. In 1973, the company introduced a legal-research service that revolutionized the way legal research and analysis was conducted. The technology propelled the legal profession into a new era. The next year Butterworth Legal Publishers and The Michie Company, two units of Reed Elsevier Inc., combine into a new publishing company. In 1997, LexisNexis debuted the first Web-based service for U.S. legal professionals, the precursor to LexisNexis^® at www.lexis.com. By 1998 the total number of Internet users worldwide exceeds 50 million. LexisNexis^® empowers customers to access legal research materials via the Internet.

2000

LexisNexis launched a strategic business unit to create solutions to verify identity, predict and manage risk, and support law enforcement and homeland security initiatives. The business unit is now called the Risk & Information Analytics Group.
A year later LexisNexis acquired CourtLink Corporation and their electronic access and electronic filing and service products. LexisNexis Courtlink Strategic Profiles help legal professionals gain insight into the litigation history of a company, attorney experience on a particular nature or suit, or map out federal litigation trends.

2002

LexisNexis Butterworths Canada and Quicklaw Inc., Canada’s leading online legal research service, agreed to merge. Late in the year, they were formally joined to become LexisNexis Canada.
MBO Verlag is acquired, the first major step to develop a legal information business in Germany. MBO developed a comprehensive database of German legislation and had a wide range of jurisprudence and other legal, tax and regulatory information products.

2004

LexisNexis launches a global technology platform for online products around the world to speed delivery of its portfolio of highly regarded research and information tools to corporations, lawyers and information professionals in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America. Customers realize the benefits of LexisNexis local and global products with enhanced functionality, advanced taxonomy and more seamless searching and linking.
Seisint is acquired for its data analytics supercomputer technology and various content. Seisint is integrated into LexisNexis’s strategic risk management business unit now called LexisNexis Risk & Information Analytics Group. Customers of this business include financial institutions, insurance companies, collections agencies, law enforcement and federal government. Products and services of this business unit help to verify identity, prevent and detect fraud, locate criminals, solve federal and law enforcement cases, and manage the risk within customer development and business processes. The business unit products and services are known for its depth and breadth of information, data analytics, and sub-second linking and matching capabilities.

2005

LexisNexis® introduces Total Solutions–a strategy that offers innovative products and services to address specific customer needs in order to improve productivity, increase profitability and stimulate growth.
The company’s first Chinese language online service, called LexisNexis® China Online, is launched for the Chinese market to help customers quickly and easily find relevant information, particularly on rapidly changing legal and regulatory issues in China.
LexisNexis Japan Co., Ltd., announced a new online legal information service in the Japanese language called LexisNexis® JP. The initial coverage of the LexisNexis® JP database includes 206,000 judgments dating from 1862; 42,000 case commentaries as published in prestigious law journals, and all of the current 7,200 Japanese statutes, codes and laws.

2006

LexisNexis Total Practice Advantage™ is launched–the first online legal practice solution integrating key areas of business from calendaring, research to case assessment in order to improve law firms’ productivity and efficiency.
A Japanese lawyer directory, “martindale.jp,” is introduced to allow users to find lawyers by criteria such as practice area, education and career history. The Japanese legal market is undergoing dramatic changes, including thriving M&A, Corporate and Intellectual Property practices; a large increase in the number of attorneys; establishment of U.S. style law schools; and the introduction of a jury system. LexisNexis is at the forefront in recognizing these changes have created a strong demand for a Japanese version of martindale.com®

2007

LexisNexis launches TotalPatent™ to bring together relevant content, expertise and legal research capabilities all in one place. For the first time ever, users have access to the full text of 22 of the world’s major patent authorities–three times more than has been available from other providers.
Designed with input from Intellectual Property (IP) experts from around the world, TotalPatent is a single online destination featuring the most complete and up-to-date domestic and international IP content available, including a timely collection of patent, scientific and other prior art information. The TotalPatent service also offers expert legal analysis, tools and document retrieval services.

2008

LexisNexis realigns its global and U.S. organizational structure and implements new initiatives to expand its Total Solutions strategy. Significant changes include: creation of Global Solutions organization to effectively serve all of the company’s diverse markets and multi-national customers; creation of a single U.S. legal business to streamline decision making, optimize resources and align legal solutions for all U.S. markets; global oversight of operations to effectively ensure “best practices” and optimization of product development, editorial and production, customer support, and infrastructure across all LexisNexis businesses.

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History

Doing Business With LexisNexis

LexisNexis History - Born to innovation

1800s

1973

1979

1988

1994 :

2000

2002

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

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