Codean software that maps and links defined terms in a contract

Roaming the aisles at LegalTech West, I noticed a new participant, Codean. It says that its software, Visualizer, “automatically analyzes legal documents for defined terms without user intervention to generate a live, hyperlinked version of the document.” The software finds, portrays, and analyzes defined terms.

It would help lawyers quickly gain an overview of the terms and how they link together in an agreement. Further, you can change those terms and see how the change radiates through the contract. Visualizer claims to do other things and will be available in beta on an invitation-only basis from July 2010. Legal departments, especially those who churn out commercial contracts, might want to see if this tool is useful.