The legal industry is transforming from people

Digitization and sustainability have become pillars of change for both law firms and legal advisers, and Public Administration, which relies on technology to add more value.

While the legal sector overcomes obstacles such as resistance to change, innovation and sustainability increase the speed of transformation with their pillars. In the observatory this was highlighted Legaltech and sustainability, the big challenges of the legal industryOrganized by EXPANSIN sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Five years ago, only 20% of the agencies in the industry – law firms, corporate legal counsel, and the Administration’s legal departments – had been digitized, according to the firm’s data. Now, 60% have already done it.

This is a path that almost all industries have already joined. “Our bank has undergone a major cultural and technological transformation. This inertia of change also affects legal advice,” said Jess Olmedilla, head of operations at Santander Legal. Among the trends driving this evolution, Olmedilla highlighted that “ESG and sustainability, big data and artificial intelligence are the tools we rely on for many initiatives.”

“Innovation, urgency and process automation are the drivers of change in the legal industry: having adequate response times is crucial,” said Francisco Ruiz-Risueo Riera. general counselor Ayesa’s. For example, solutions such as document management systems in the cloud “enable the attorney to focus on the issues that add the most value,” as Ayesa’s president emphasized.

Clementina Barreda, partner at Mazars Tax & Legal, stressed that “innovation and digitization cannot be an end in itself: we must focus on teams and people” because it is professionals who will use the tools to innovate. face the challenges. Among them, Barreda highlighted “cybersecurity and broad legal distribution”.

Along the same lines, Navantia’s director of legal advice, Alejandro Rubio, said, “The main drivers of change are people, not tools or technology.” Besides the challenge of institutionalizing digitalization in organizations, Rubio noted that “resistance to change always comes from people, so they need to see that new solutions are beneficial for them.”

Javier Cremades, founder and president of Cremades & Calvo Sotelo, said: “Technology is becoming an indispensable companion in fulfilling the purpose of legal operators: to accompany, protect and serve people, companies and institutions through Law”. stressed its importance. legal technology and education: “It’s about making people understand that their future, their role and their purpose depends on technology.”

Joaquín Rocamora Manteca, director of legal services for the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, agrees that “technology should be for people: we should not seek the latest innovation, but the innovation we really need”. Within Public Administration, he pointed out that “for now, the engine of change is simplification of processes, interoperability and collaborative work between administrations”.

Sustainability

“The advantages of digitalization and technology are closely linked to efficiency,” said Víctor Gimeno Granda, director of digitization and sustainability at Capital Energy, who also touched on the role of sustainability in reducing risks. Gimeno warned that “poor risk management associated with ESG issues is having an increasing impact on companies.”

In this sense, Arco Abogados attorney Adela Martn said: “We see a growing interest among clients in incorporating the principles of good governance, sustainability and social commitment into their business models.” Regarding the specific consequences of digitization, he assured that “there are productivity benefits and that it is a tool that helps attract and retain talent”.

Finally, Alfonso Romero, head of legal professionals “Technology is an ally to meet the urgency expectations demanded by internal and external customers today,” said Thomson Reuters’ Aranzadi. In any case, Romero agreed that “technology is what must adapt and put itself at the service of people, never vice versa.”