Why we created our Legal Transformation Practice

TL;DR: We’ve spent the last fifteen years helping law firms innovate. Increasingly, we’ve realised the challenge isn’t innovation alone; it’s transformation. As AI reshapes the profession, the firms that succeed will be those that rethink how they create value while building on the timeless qualities that have always made exceptional lawyers indispensable.

Over the past fifteen years, we’ve been fortunate to work alongside many of the world’s leading law firms. We’ve helped redesign legal services, facilitate innovation with clients, build innovation capability, develop future leaders and support firms through significant periods of organisational change.

Until recently, we simply described this as innovation work.

But over the last year or two, it’s become increasingly clear that this description no longer captures what’s really happening. The conversations we’re having with firms have changed. The questions are different. The challenges are broader. While artificial intelligence has undoubtedly accelerated this shift, AI itself isn’t the story. It’s simply making visible something that was already beginning to happen.

Beyond technology adoption

One of the advantages of working across so many different sectors is that we get to see patterns emerge. We spend our time helping organisations in healthcare, media, engineering, financial services, government and consumer industries navigate many of the same questions around AI, innovation and organisational change. Every sector is asking how AI will change the way people work, how value will be created, and what capabilities organisations will need in the future.

What makes legal particularly interesting isn’t that these questions are unique to the profession; it’s that they strike at the very heart of how law firms have traditionally competed. For generations, competitive advantage has come from expertise. As AI makes knowledge increasingly accessible and routine work more automated, firms have an extraordinary opportunity to rethink how that expertise is applied, how services are delivered, and ultimately, how value is created for clients.

Law firms aren’t just being asked to adopt new technology. They’re being asked to rethink how they create value.

The enduring value of trusted advisers

The encouraging thing is that this doesn’t require the profession to become something it isn’t. In many respects, the qualities that will distinguish the best lawyers over the next decade are the same ones that have always defined the very best advisers. David Maister wrote decades ago about the importance of becoming a trusted advisor, arguing that deep client understanding, empathy and the ability to navigate complexity were ultimately more valuable than simply providing technically correct answers. That observation feels every bit as relevant today.

In fact, one of the things we’ve consistently observed across every industry we work in is that technology rarely replaces the people who create the greatest value. It amplifies them. The legal profession is exceptionally well equipped for this moment. It is full of bright, curious people who are trained to solve difficult problems, weigh evidence, think critically and exercise sound judgement. Those aren’t capabilities that AI replaces; they’re precisely the capabilities that become even more valuable when routine work is automated.

The opportunity isn’t to reinvent lawyers. It’s to give them the tools, confidence and organisational environment to apply those strengths in new ways.

That’s why we increasingly found ourselves talking less about innovation and more about transformation.

Transformation starts with people

One thing we’ve learned over the years is that successful transformation rarely starts with technology. It starts with leadership. It starts with curiosity. It starts with people who are willing to ask difficult questions before they have all the answers, and organisations that are prepared to experiment, learn and evolve.

That’s the work we’ve found ourselves doing more and more.

Sometimes we’re helping leadership teams understand what AI means for their firm’s future. Sometimes we’re designing entirely new legal services alongside lawyers and clients. Other times we’re developing innovation capability across hundreds of people or helping firms build the confidence to navigate change. The projects look very different, but they all share a common purpose: helping firms become more adaptable, more resilient and better prepared for what’s next.

The future of legal transformation

In many ways, creating a dedicated Legal Transformation Practice isn’t something new at all. It’s simply a clearer expression of the work we’ve gradually grown into over the past decade. It reflects what our clients are asking for, where we believe the profession is heading, and the kinds of challenges we believe will define the next generation of successful firms.

The future of legal won’t be determined by AI alone. It will be shaped by the firms that use this moment to rethink how they create value, strengthen relationships with clients, and build organisations capable of continually evolving.

That’s the future we’re excited to help build.