Legal business management company Aderant today announced it has acquired Virtual Pricing Director (VPD), the London-based company that created the legal industry’s first practice management-agnostic pricing platform.

The acquisition brings together Aderant’s financial and matter management products with VPD’s AI-powered pricing tools and the expertise of VPD founder Richard Burcher, who is internationally recognized as a leading authority on law firm pricing.

Founded in 2017 in the U.K., VPD specializes in providing cloud-based software that leverages artificial intelligence, structured logic and adaptive workflows to help law firms automate and optimize their pricing strategies.

The platform uses AI to combine firm data with established pricing principles, enabling lawyers to scope engagements, model multiple pricing scenarios, and forecast profitability. VPD works across different practice management systems, making it accessible to firms regardless of their existing technology infrastructure.

Burcher, a former managing partner who also founded the legal pricing consultancy Validatum, has worked with leading law firms worldwide to develop client-focused pricing models and commercial strategies.

Plans For Integration

Richard Burcher

“Virtual Pricing Director and Richard Burcher have defined what best-in-class pricing looks like for the world’s top firms,” said Chris Cartrett, president and CEO of Aderant. “By bringing this thought leadership and innovation into Aderant, we’re giving firms everywhere the ability to make smarter, faster and more transparent pricing decisions that directly drive profitability.”

VPD will remain available as a standalone platform, maintaining its practice management-agnostic approach. However, Aderant plans to deepen integration with its existing products over the next year, connecting pricing intelligence with time and billing, financial management, and analytics capabilities.

The acquisition comes as law firms face mounting pressure to move beyond traditional hourly billing models. Clients increasingly expect fee transparency, alternative fee arrangements, and predictable value delivery — demands that require sophisticated pricing intelligence and data analytics.

By integrating VPD’s AI-driven modeling and profitability forecasting with Aderant’s comprehensive practice management ecosystem, the combined platform aims to connect how legal work is priced, delivered and measured, Aderant said.

“For years, our focus has been helping firms approach pricing as both a science and a client experience — balancing commercial intelligence with trust and transparency,” Burcher said. “With Aderant’s scale and vision, we can now embed those best practices, powered by AI, into the everyday operations of law firms around the world.”

The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.