Legal Transformation Practice
Helping law firms navigate the future of legal
Treehouse is a trusted change partner for the legal sector. We bring human-centred innovation, strategic foresight and emerging technologies together to help firms transform and thrive through disruption.
We help law firms collaborate with their clients, differentiate in the market, and identify new avenues for growth through human-centred design.
Legal Innovations Consultancy of the Year, SME News Legal Awards 2023
The challenge
Build a more agile, future-ready law firm
For generations, competitive advantage in law has come from expertise. Increasingly, it will come from how expertise is applied. As AI makes legal knowledge increasingly accessible and routine work more automated, the firms that lead the next decade will differentiate themselves through new business models, exceptional client experiences, intelligent use of technology, and the ability to continually adapt.
Treehouse helps law firms make that transition. We combine human-centred design, AI, strategic foresight and innovation to help firms rethink services, redesign operating models, strengthen innovation capability and uncover new opportunities for growth. Having worked alongside many of the world's leading legal organisations, we help transform uncertainty into strategic advantage.
Our services
How we help firms prepare for what's next
We work with firms across three connected areas — from strategy and innovation to leadership and lasting change.
AI, Strategy & Future Readiness
We help firms understand the impact of AI and changing client expectations, identify strategic opportunities, and build practical roadmaps for the future.
Service & Business Innovation
We help firms design new legal services, explore AI-enabled business models, and rapidly test ideas that create value for clients and the firm.
Leadership, Capability & Transformation
We help leaders and teams build the skills, alignment and confidence needed to embrace change, adopt new technologies, and sustain transformation.
"I loved that when we met the Treehouse team, you used design thinking to try and understand our challenge. You live the approach and methodology. It meant that when I walked away, I knew that you got it and that you'd work with me to make it happen."
Jana Blount, Change Maker, DLA Piper
AI & the future of law
The future of law won't be built by AI alone
Artificial intelligence is changing far more than how legal work is completed. As knowledge becomes increasingly accessible and routine tasks become automated, firms have an opportunity to rethink how they create value, differentiate their services and deepen client relationships. The firms that thrive won't simply adopt AI — they'll reinvent the way they work.
We help law firms navigate that transformation. From AI strategy and service innovation to leadership capability and organisational change, we help firms turn technological disruption into lasting competitive advantage.
Success story
How DLA Piper is transforming its culture
Delivering greater impact for clients through design thinking and a firm-wide Radical Change programme.
Global law firm DLA Piper, Law.com International's Law Firm of The Year 2020, saw an opportunity to capitalise on disruptive challenges to build stronger, more innovative client relationships. The result is an organisation-wide Radical Change programme designed to fundamentally change how the firm operates.
We partnered with DLA Piper to develop a bespoke framework, tools, training and support programme that resonated with lawyers and legal support staff. This has led to new client relationships, genuine co-creation between lawyers and their clients, and a lasting shift in mindset.
Read the full case studyFeatured
The Futures Lab at LegalTechTalk
We partnered with LegalTechTalk to create the Futures Lab, an immersive experience giving visitors the opportunity to explore what the future of law might look like.
Download the reportWorkshop in a box
Law 2035: Illustrated Futures
Stress test your strategy, spot opportunities, and provoke fresh thinking about what the future of the legal sector might hold.
Get yours nowThe evidence
Why design-led firms outperform
A growing body of research shows that organisations which put human-centred design and innovation at the core of how they work consistently grow faster, win more clients, and deliver greater value than their peers. The same opportunity is now open to law firms.
McKinsey & Company found that design-led organisations realise 10% more revenue than those that aren't.
The Design Management Institute found that design-driven organisations outperformed the S&P 500 by 228% over a ten-year period.
McKinsey's Business Value of Design report found top-quartile design performers grew revenues and shareholder returns at nearly twice the rate of their industry peers.
"It's increasingly important for lawyers to be familiar with Human-Centered Design. At a minimum this is so they can speak the same language as their clients, many of whom are using Human-Centered Design at senior levels, but even more importantly because so many of the elements are helpful in enhancing client relationships as well as developing innovative solutions to new client challenges."
Julia E. Robinson, Head of Professional Development & Training, Europe & Asia, Ropes & Gray
Your team
Meet the people behind the practice
Adam Billing
Jana Blount
Duncan Brannan
Nathan Waterhouse
El Tong
Steve Baker
Angela Tang
Insights
Thought leadership
Exploring the impact of generative AI on the future of professions
How will generative AI shape the future of legal services, private equity, investment banking, accounting, and consulting.
Improving access to justice
Despite huge developments in lawtech, for many consumers and SMEs services remain difficult to access and afford.
Why law firms need design thinking now more than ever
Every article about law firms and innovation starts in the same way. They talk about the pressures the profession is facing...
Why lawyers make great designers. No, really.
In an increasingly competitive market, law firms have to do something to stand out from the crowd.
Slaughter and May, The Lens: Listen to your user... but not too much!
Design thinking applied to challenges within law firms and by clients within their organisations.
How DLA Piper is using design thinking to transform the business
"If our clients don't want something, it doesn't matter how excellent or radical it appears." (Jana Blount)
Building a Culture of Innovation in Legal Services
What does innovation look like for a traditional industry such as law?
Roundtable: GCs draw their nightmares
An incessant stream of worries has troubled the minds of in-house counsels across the world...
Managing Partner Magazine: Innovation Cover Story
Can design thinking help law firms be more innovative?
Leading change through design
Adam Billing on how design thinking helps law firms embrace change and drive innovation.
Ready to drive innovation in your law firm?
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with a senior member of our team to discuss your aspirations and challenges.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who is this for?
Our Legal Transformation Practice is designed for law firm leaders, innovation heads, professional development teams, and anyone driving change within a legal organisation. Whether you are a global firm or a specialist practice, we tailor our approach to your context and goals.
What is human-centred design and why does it matter for law firms?
Human-centred design is a creative, structured approach to problem-solving that starts with understanding the needs of the people you serve. For law firms, it means developing services, pricing models, and client experiences that genuinely respond to what clients value, leading to stronger relationships and new avenues for growth.
How long does a typical engagement last?
It depends on your goals. A standalone workshop or training programme can be delivered in a day or two, while a broader transformation engagement typically runs over several months. We work with you to define the right scope and pace for your firm.
Can sessions be delivered remotely?
Yes. We have extensive experience running workshops and training programmes both in person and virtually. Our remote sessions are designed to be just as interactive and engaging, using digital collaboration tools to keep participants fully involved.
What kind of results can we expect?
Firms we have worked with have seen new client wins, deeper client relationships, improved cross-practice collaboration, and a measurable shift in how teams approach innovation. We focus on delivering tangible outcomes, not just theoretical frameworks.
How is this different from other legal consultancies?
We combine deep expertise in human-centred design with practical experience in the legal sector. Rather than delivering a report and walking away, we embed new capabilities within your teams so the impact lasts well beyond our engagement.
How does AI fit into your approach?
We help legal teams understand where AI can add genuine value, from streamlining internal processes to enhancing client delivery. Our approach ensures AI adoption is strategic, responsible, and grounded in real client needs rather than hype.
How do we get started?
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with a senior member of our team. We will discuss your aspirations and challenges, and explain how we can help. There is no obligation and no hard sell.