SmartSearch, the UK’s leading digital anti-money laundering (AML) and compliance solutions provider, has announced a strategic partnership with Clio, the global leader in legal AI technology, to integrate their AML verification and monitoring tools directly into Clio’s legal practice management platform. This collaboration aims to enhance AML compliance for law firms by embedding SmartSearch’s award-winning digital AML solution into Clio’s platform, enabling legal professionals to conduct compliance checks seamlessly within their existing workflows without disruption.
Clio’s comprehensive legal practice management, client intake, and CRM solutions are trusted and used by over 200,000 legal professionals across more than 130 countries. Clio is approved by more than 100 bar associations and law societies worldwide. The platform is designed to streamline law firm operations, boost productivity, and allow legal professionals to manage their practices from a single platform. By integrating SmartSearch’s AML technology, Clio provides firms with enhanced risk management and due diligence capabilities while maintaining operational efficiency.
The integration benefits Clio customers by automating AML and identity checks directly within the Clio platform. This streamlines client onboarding processes, enabling faster and more efficient verification of clients. Real-time compliance monitoring and data verification capabilities are available within the platform, reducing compliance risk and simplifying regulatory adherence. The embedded AML solution is purpose-built to address the evolving compliance needs of the legal sector.
Kerry Cleary, Partnership Director at SmartSearch, emphasized the significance of the integration, stating, “Our integration with Clio marks a significant advancement in simplifying compliance for legal professionals. By embedding our digital AML solution into Clio’s platform, we empower law firms to enhance efficiency, reduce risk, and maintain regulatory compliance without disrupting their daily operations”.
SmartSearch’s AML technology is known for its high pass rate of up to 97% for individual AML checks, comprehensive sanctions and politically exposed persons (PEP) screening, and integration of multiple data sources, including Experian and Companies House for corporate screening. This robust capability ensures law firms can confidently conduct client verification and ongoing monitoring to comply with UK and international AML regulations. Additionally, the platform offers continuous PEP and sanctions monitoring, configurable risk assessments, and clear, exportable reports to make compliance audit-ready.
This collaboration between SmartSearch and Clio is a reflection of their shared vision to deliver innovative technological solutions that address the contemporary challenges faced by the legal profession in maintaining AML compliance. By integrating AML technology directly into legal practice management software, the partnership facilitates a smoother compliance workflow without the need for law firms to utilize multiple stand-alone systems, thus supporting improved regulatory adherence and operational productivity.
The SmartSearch and Clio partnership also provides law firms with access to industry-leading security features, extensive customer support availability, and an extensive ecosystem of legal technology applications through Clio’s app marketplace. This ensures that firms benefit not only from state-of-the-art AML compliance but also from a secure and supportive operational environment tailored to legal professionals’ needs.
Overall, the integration of SmartSearch’s AML verification and monitoring tools into Clio’s legal practice management platform represents a significant step forward in the digital transformation of compliance in the legal sector. It addresses the increasing regulatory scrutiny around anti-money laundering practices by offering an automated, efficient, and reliable method for client onboarding and ongoing monitoring, enhancing law firms’ ability to manage AML risks effectively within their established workflows.
This strategic partnership is expected to positively impact law firms globally, making AML compliance more accessible, efficient, and less disruptive to daily legal operations. As AML regulations continue to evolve, legal professionals now have a powerful tool integrated within their core practice management system to support compliance and risk management objectives seamlessly.
AML Editor’s article was originally published in amlintelligence on October 15, 2025