header-logo header-logo

17 June 2016 / Dr Marc K Peter
Issue: 7703 / Categories: Features , Brexit , Profession , Technology
printer mail-detail

In-house legal technology: Smart investments (Pt 3)

nlj_7703_peter

Embracing technology can help in-house counsel focus on profitable growth & future-proofing, explains Dr Marc K Peter

 

It is no secret for those working in the sector that in-house counsel are under more pressure than ever to perform more duties with comparably fewer resources. And with warnings that there may be a downturn in the global economy of a severity to rival the crash of 2008 and the possibility of a Brexit, in-house lawyers need to proactively embrace advantages provided by innovation and technology to ensure they and their businesses prosper in what could be a stormy economic and political future.

Twenty percent of the legal profession now work in-house—a figure that has doubled in the past 10 years (Annual Statistics Report 2015, Law Society). It is clear that in-house counsel exert enormous influence on both the commercial and legal landscape in the UK. After all, it is they who instruct most of the lucrative commercial work enjoyed by the top 100 law firms,

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

Nikki Bowker, head of litigation and dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team

DWF—Chris Air

DWF—Chris Air

Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment

NEWS
Contract damages are usually assessed at the date of breach—but not always. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Gascoigne, knowledge lawyer at LexisNexis, examines the growing body of cases where courts have allowed later events to reshape compensation
The Supreme Court has restored ‘doctrinal coherence’ to unfair prejudice litigation, writes Natalie Quinlivan, partner at Fieldfisher LLP, in this week' NLJ
The High Court’s refusal to recognise a prolific sperm donor as a child’s legal parent has highlighted the risks of informal conception arrangements, according to Liam Hurren, associate at Kingsley Napley, in NLJ this week
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur may have settled questions around litigation supervision, but the profession should not simply ‘move on’, argues Jennifer Coupland, CEO of CILEX, in this week's NLJ
A simple phrase like ‘subject to references’ may not protect employers as much as they think. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, analyses recent employment cases showing how conditional job offers can still create binding contracts
back-to-top-scroll