Technology
Cyber risk management and hybrid working
In the second instalment of our ‘Ask the Expert’ series, sponsored by Insight Legal, Kerrie Machin, of cybersecurity experts Mitigo Group, looks at how hybrid working can lead to additional cybersecurity risks for growing law firms.
Ex-Olympic hopeful solicitor: “Legal winners will be innovators”
A former Team GB badminton player who abandoned his dreams of Olympic gold to become a solicitor and now a legal tech entrepreneur has launched a digital contracting product.
Lawtech tipping point “likely to come from non-lawyers”
Non-lawyers will disrupt the legal technology market such as to create a “tipping point”, probably in the next five years, the outgoing head of Lawtech UK has predicted.
Lawtech start-ups bag multi-million pound investments
Two lawtech start-ups have secured significant investment – one a software platform aimed at corporate in-house legal teams and the other a one-stop shop for the legal needs of SMEs.
Legal problem diagnosis app crowdfunds cash for expansion
An app for SMEs and individuals which uses artificial intelligence to help diagnose and solve legal problems has almost completed its largest investment round so far.
Start-ups boosted by £1.2m investment and top judge hire
PocketLaw, a start-up aiming to provide a one-stop shop for the legal needs of SMEs, has secured further funding of £1.2m, while an online divorce service has named a top judge as an advisor.
Major study proposes ODR to handle small business debt cases
An online dispute resolution platform would help solve the problem of late payment debt by providing SMEs with a quick and cheap alternative to traditional lawyer-based solutions.
Law Society: Solicitors must not use AI without clients’ consent
Clients should be put at the heart of legal technology by law firms, including being asked for consent before artificial intelligence is deployed, solicitors have been told.
Technology and innovation “step-change” in last year but barriers persist
The past year has seen a “step change” in the adoption of legal technology and innovation, in part as a result of Covid-19, a major piece of new research has found. However, significant barriers remain.
Fears about using judicial data to predict judges’ actions “exaggerated”
Access to judicial data should be made easier to increase public trust, while fears it will be used to create accurate predictions of what judges will do are overblown, a seminar heard last week.
Investment in lawtech companies doubles but firms lag behind
The average annual growth rate for investment in UK lawtech companies over the past three years has hit 101%, a much bigger number than that seen in sectors such as finance or health.
Blockchain network aims to provide “missing link” for conveyancing
A house in Kent is the first being sold using a blockchain network that connects conveyancers with estate agents and mortgage lenders.
Susskind: “Harder than expected” to reduce legal work to lawyer-free process
The extent to which legal work can be reduced purely to administration and process has been overstated and in fact “lawyers are needed for all legal jobs”, Professor Richard Susskind has acknowledged.
City lawyers “need help from their firms” to engage with technology
Lawyers have been reluctant to engage with technology partly because law firm partners haven’t given junior staff enough time to learn how it can help them, according to a government-backed report.
Structured data format a “great step forward” for digital contracts
The Master of the Rolls has hailed the launch of a universal structured data format for the creation of digital contracts as a “great step forward”.
Blog
Keeping the conversation going beyond Pride Month
As I reflect on all the celebrations of Pride Month 2024, I ask myself why there remains hesitancy amongst LGBTQ+ staff members about when it comes to being open about their identity in the workplace.
Third-party managed accounts: Your key questions answered
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has given strong indications that it is headed towards greater restrictions on law firms when it comes to handling client money.
Understanding vicarious trauma in the legal workplace
Vicarious trauma can happen to anyone who works with clients who have experienced trauma such as domestic or other violence, child abuse, sexual assault, torture or being a refugee.
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