15 lessons from Future Lawyer Week UK 5.0
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

15 lessons from Future Lawyer Week UK 5.0

This time last week I was at Future Lawyer Week being immersed into the world of law practice, in-house legal, litigation and, of course, legal tech.

Primarily, I attended FLW because I wanted to learn. And I did. It was intense. I needed a holiday afterwards. But it was worth it.

For what it’s worth, here are my key takeaways from the sessions I attended and the conversations I had with fellow delegates, panellists and speakers.

In no particular order…

1.?????Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not scary: Philip Demetriou, from DISCO, kicked off the day by explaining just how normal the use of AI and machine learning is. It powers eDiscovery which has been around for many years. The benefits, such as the case study Philip mentioned which reduced 1.4m docs to 122k and then reduced them further to 26k docs, demonstrates the impact technology innovation can have. We can learn from this and use machine learning and AI in lots of areas.

2.?????Teams, WhatsApp and other popular apps for hybrid work can be utilised compliantly:?The discussion on hybrid working highlighted that there is still a lack of awareness that conversations on apps like Teams and WhatsApp can be captured and integrated into databases. Information can then be interrogated and referenced using cognitive search tools. Technology can ensure compliance with regulations and governance, both internal and external, as well as increasing collaboration and enabling law firms to use the communication tools clients expect them to use.

3.?????Bespoke solutions? Make sure you plan for tech succession:?Chris Obdam, from Betty Blocks spoke about how easy it is to build bespoke functions using low code/no code platforms. There's loads of scope for solving your unique challenges and the tech is highly accessible. However, if you do go down the bespoke route, consider what happens when your technology or innovation lead leaves the firm. Plan for this eventuality.

4.?????Ask your end users what tech they want. Not senior partners:?Joe Cohen from Dentons chaired an interesting session that discussed the question of junior fee earners influencing tech utilisation decision making. These are the people who will be using the solutions, they hold the keys to whether the tech is successfully adopted or not.?

5.?????Demand for plug and play solutions:?The session also highlighted a disparity between senior leadership who get it – the use case for legal tech - and partners who are so busy running deals that there is little time to invest in adoption. Here plug and play solutions can enable partners to quickly adopt the tech, without distracting them from billable work.

6.?????KISS:?Tony McKenna, IT Director from Howard Kennedy, spoke of the importance of keeping things simple. His advice? Make an impact and make it quick.?

7.?????Don’t pay a lawyer to write tech, pay them to define it:?The concept of fail fast, normal for many software companies, involves two words that drive terror in the hearts of lawyers. Overcome this by engaging professional firms to develop your solutions, using your legal team to clearly defining exactly what needs to be done, then a technology expert to write it.

8.?????Law tech valuations are contentious!?Beyond the Hype discussed whether law tech valuations are justified by the market opportunity. In one camp Paula Doyle from PaLiDa Ltd says yes, they’re justified because the tech allows non-lawyers to take on many of the day-to-day admin functions legal firms are doing. In the other, Nick West from Mishcon De Roya says many are overvalued to satisfy high returns required for VC funding and that the addressable market is too specialised and therefore limited for all the players to win. You decide.

9.?????Why aren’t you all using eSignature??Day 2 and a session on how to use tech to speed up processes across business units. Someone asked how many organisations present used eSignature.?Astoundingly only 85% of room! If you’re going to make one change today to speed up processes, eSignature is a no brainer surely?

10.??Outside consultancy can help speed up process:?Radhika Rani, Senior Legal Counsel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, suggested that sometimes outside help is what’s needed to speed up process, and change, in an organisation. Not only can they help identify exactly what will have the most impact but also become your accountability partner in your transformation project.

11.??Getting buy in from all parties is key:?Another good point from Radhika Rani. It’s vital that you take everyone on your legal transformation journey, not thrust change upon them, to maximise technology adoption and for the overall success of any project.

12.??We need storytelling tools:?Friday’s keynote by Nimrod Aharon, Founder and CEO at Litigate, discussed the impact of AI on litigation and how we need storytelling tools to make complex information simple to give all parties clarity and cut through the noise. Also, end-to-end solutions that follow the whole journey from matter creation to closing.

13.??Smaller margins need legal tech: Another point from Nimrod Aharon was that the smaller the case, the greater the benefits of using legal tech. That’s because when the margins are small, legal tech and non-lawyers can step up to do many of the functions for less cost than large fee earners.

14.??AI really does speed up dispute resolutions:?One of my favourite sessions of the week, Sh*t Happens, What’s Next?, shared many examples, such as eDiscovery, where AI speeds up the litigation process, saves money and most importantly helps win cases. Thanks to Philip Demetriou, DISCO; Claire Morel, BCLP Law; Carolina Marín Pedre?o, Dawson Cornwell; James Hansen, LitiGate; Fiona Henderson, Pinsent Masons; and Jon Fowler, Ankur for your insights.

15.??You need to build a team!?My final takeaway from the week was a recurring theme throughout the various sessions. For successful legal transformation you need to build a team of?advocates, sponsors, evangelists and technologists to help drive innovation and adoption. Don’t try to do it by yourself.

In summary, a great week was had by all. I’ve also come away with lots of insight to help define the criteria for the legal transformation manifesto I’m overseeing, as well as recruiting new collaborators for this project. If you’d like to learn more about it, please send me a DM.

Well done to the Cosmonauts team for organising such as great event. Super slick and fantastic content. Not sure I’ve ever been to an event where everything is so relevant. You smashed it!

BTW, you can already pre-register for?Future Lawyer Week UK 6.0 in 2023?– I recommend it!

Denis Potemkin

I help legal teams speed up deals, create trust and deliver a better service.

2 年

Good summary David and it was nice to meet you if only briefly. I'd asked about e-signature, and I agree that should have been 100% of hands. But I was more astounded by the few hands that were raised to questions like: who uses traffic light risk reports instead of advice emails? key terms sections in contracts? intake forms?

Thanks David for these insights. It was great to get to know you at FLW. Here’s to a return next year!

Kerry McCloy

Innovation and Legal Technology Professional | Women in Business Outstanding Innovation Award

2 年

Some great takeaways David. Thanks for sharing.

Folusho Adelagun MBCS

IT Business Analyst at WHSmith

2 年

Great article David. It was a very detailed and insightful read

Megan Islin

??A creative, analytical and strategic digital marketeer with a sunny disposition ??

2 年

Great to hear you got such value at FLW! See you next year!

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