Line Lolk Thomsen (Chief Transformation Officer, Plesner) chaired a panel with Charlie Leveque (Co- Managing Partner Harbottle & Lewis) and Andy Wansell (COO Harbottle & Lewis) to discuss how law firms can actually adopt cutting edge technology and not get left in the past.

Charlie opened the discussion suggesting that disruption is transformational and all firms need to think about how we are practicing law.  We have to service our clients in an excellent way and we must use all of the technology available so that we don't get left behind.

Harbottle and Lewis have to be cutting edge and act with pace.  The firm are the right size to be nimble and they have a number of technology clients which helps.

Andy is heavily involved in the projects that have and are being undertaken at the firm.  All projects are client focused and whilst we are excited about the use of AI, we aren't using it just for the sake of it.  There is always collaboration with clients over the need and use case.  Andy also warned people listening that they should move at pace and be ready to fail.  The worse thing that firms can do is not act.

Charlie felt that there is a certain tension that plays out due to the nature of law firms being risk adverse. The model has always been to craft governance first and then try things and with the EU legislating first, it has slowed progress.  Harbottle have looked more to the US model of trial and error whilst creating governance off the back of the findings.  Andy is happy to trial things as long as there are guardrails in place and that the firm understands the vision.

We have been asked to look at changing how we do things and so Andy helped create and innovation fund.  It allows fee earners to invest time and we can kill projects when testing them that aren't working.  The advice being, select well and if it isn't the right fit or technology, then get rid of it.  

When asked what the one piece of advice they could pass onto the attendees, Charlie suggested to question, is there a better way I can do things as a lawyer?  Andy finished with the fact that risk isn't a bad word but it should be understood and risks can be taken when they are measured.