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The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Aisling O’Connell on fostering technology & innovation in small firms

There’s no question that technology is transforming all our lives. People are increasingly using technology to choose and access professional services. The legal sector is of course experiencing its own ground-breaking innovations, which are enabling new ways for solicitors and law firms to deliver services, engage with clients and increase efficiency.

Firms need to keep pace with consumers’ rapidly changing expectations. Yet sole practitioners and small firms can face obstacles in embedding technology in their firms, with the risk that some are left behind.

At the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), we recognise smaller firms’ value to the public, as they continue to be the gateway to legal services for many. They can provide an affordable, trustworthy, close-to-home option, providing access to expert advice.

The SRA is committed to encouraging innovation that can improve both legal services and access to them. That includes supporting small firms to adopt technology responsibly and safely. That’s why we recently commissioned research

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NEWS

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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