Nexl vs Foundation 365 (formerly Peppermint): How to choose a legal CRM in 2026

Foundation 365, formerly known as Peppermint CX365, is a modular platform built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. It offers CRM, matter management, document management, and work management for large law firms. Acquired by Litera in early 2025, Foundation 365 delivers deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem including Outlook, Teams, and Power BI. In August 2026, Litera added growth intelligence features to Foundation 365 and launched Firm AI Search through Lito, its legal AI agent.

The platform leverages Microsoft’s infrastructure for security, compliance, and scalability. Foundation 365's strength lies in its ability to unify client engagement, matter lifecycle and business operations on a single Microsoft foundation. Litera’s AI layer builds on this foundation. Firm AI Search lets lawyers ask natural language questions of their firm’s matter, client, and expertise data through Lito, and is generally available to Foundation Cloud customers, starting with firms in the US. Foundation 365 now also surfaces business development signals with a monetary value attached, helping firms prioritize opportunities in their existing client data.

For firms already set up in the Microsoft ecosystem, it represents a way to unify client engagement and operations on a single technology foundation.

Feature comparison

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Foundation's 365 Microsoft advantage

Foundation 365's core strength is its foundation on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Firms that already use Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Power BI get native integration across their technology stack. The platform offers client engagement (CRM), matter management, work management, and case management as modular components that share a single data source. For large UK and international firms that want CRM and practice management on one platform, Foundation 365 provides a comprehensive solution.

The trade-offs

Foundation 365's reliance on Dynamics 365 is both its strength and its limitation. Deployment requires Microsoft licensing, partner involvement, and significant configuration. Firms need internal IT capability or an external partner to implement, maintain, and evolve the system. Implementation timelines of several months are common.

Foundation 365 delivers relationship intelligence through an integration with Foundation Proactive ERM, powered by Postilize, a third-party technology. Firms that want “who knows who” mapping and automatic engagement tracking rely on that integration alongside the core Dynamics platform. Data quality also takes ongoing work. Litera’s new Proactive Cleanse feature validates CRM contact records, so firms can correct the data they already hold in Dynamics. Built-in email marketing requires Dynamics Marketing, another add-on with its own licensing and configuration.

What Nexl offers instead

Nexl combines CRM, relationship intelligence, email marketing, event management, collaboration, and AI insights in a single cloud-native platform designed for law firms. All of these features come included, with no separate add-ons, third-party integrations, or Microsoft licensing required.

Nexl captures emails, meetings, and calls automatically from Outlook and calendars, so lawyers never enter data and your CRM data stays accurate from the first week. That removes the adoption barrier that undermines most legal CRM projects, and means firms don’t need a separate tool to clean up their data later.

The platform is designed to work for lawyers, marketers and business development professionals alike, with a modern interface that surfaces actionable insights without requiring specialist training.

How to compare the platforms

The choice between Nexl and Foundation 365 often comes down to what a firm is trying to achieve. Foundation 365 appeals to firms that want to consolidate CRM, matter management, and document management on Microsoft, with Litera’s wider portfolio, including Lito and Litera GrowthTech, adding AI and growth tools across the practice and business of law. The investment is larger, and so is the scope. Nexl appeals to firms that want a purpose-built CRM and growth platform they can deploy quickly, with relationship intelligence, email marketing, and AI insights included in the core platform.

Which firms should choose which

Foundation 365 suits large firms that want CRM and practice management unified on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and have the IT resources to support systems investment.

Nexl is the better option for medium to large enterprise firms that want a focused CRM platform that can be deployed quickly, with relationship intelligence and email marketing included rather than added on.

Foundation 365 is a strong choice for large UK and international firms committed to the Microsoft ecosystem that want CRM and practice management on a single platform. Nexl offers a faster, more focused solution for firms that want a relationship-driven CRM, marketing, and business development tools without the complexity and cost of a Dynamics 365 build.