Innovation in Law Firms
Implementing Successful Projects
Stuart Whittle, Catriona Wolfenden
Published: 2024
Pages: 191
eBook: 9781787429574
Divided into four parts to reflect the innovation lifecycle of examine, explore, develop and reflect, this book is a practical guide for those starting or doing innovation in law firms.
This book focuses on implementing innovation and the innovation process in a law firm, from pilot to adoption and everything in between (whether that be within the law firm itself or undertaken by the law firm’s clients).
Innovation in Law Firms is packed with insight from the authors who lead the award-winning innovation team at Weightmans, and who have experience of starting innovation from scratch, as well as viewpoints ranging from the strategic, board-level perspective to the on-the-ground experience of actually doing innovation projects. It is practical rather than theoretical in style and aims to fill some of the adoption gap by exploring the highs and lows of innovating in law firms, and outlining practical steps that can be taken to mitigate some of the potential pitfalls.
Whether at the start or part way through an innovation journey, this book allows readers to dip in and out, providing guidance on specific issues as they arise as part of the innovation lifecycle.
Table of Contents
| Cover | Cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Title Page | i | |
| Copyright | ii | |
| Contents | iii | |
| About the authors | vii | |
| Acknowledgments | ix | |
| Disclaimer | xi | |
| Introduction: What has Donoghue v. Stevenson got to do with innovation? | xiii | |
| Chapter 1: A faster horse or the moon on a stick? | 1 | |
| Client-led innovation | 4 | |
| The business of law | 9 | |
| Chapter 2: Getting started – big picture | 15 | |
| Getting started with no money and no team | 15 | |
| The importance of a vision (and Board support) | 17 | |
| What does success look like? | 18 | |
| “You know this might not work, right?” – being comfortable with the uncomfortable | 18 | |
| Forming, storming, norming, and performing – bringing together people with curiosity | 20 | |
| Listen, talk, network, and listen some more – deciding what to do | 22 | |
| It’s not just about the technology – starting the hearts and minds journey | 24 | |
| Chapter 3: Getting started – proofs of concepts and methodologies | 31 | |
| The ideation process – creating a hopper of ideas | 31 | |
| Does it solve a problem and is it doable? Prioritizing ideas | 34 | |
| Running a pilot – from timing and success criteria to risk approval and everything in between | 37 | |
| An A-Z of useful (legal and non-legal) methodologies – taking what is useful and applying a liberal dose of common sense | 46 | |
| Example pilot action plan | 50 | |
| Chapter 4: Skills, team, and bringing others with you – recruiting your “pirates in the navy” | 59 | |
| How it helps to be a jack of all trades | 59 | |
| How to encourage rebel ideas | 60 | |
| Intrapreneurship – finding your “pirates in the navy” | 61 | |
| Innovation is contagious | 63 | |
| It is not the size of the innovation team that matters, but the careful curation of it | 65 | |
| Chapter 5: When it works – lessons learned | 73 | |
| Not all subject matter experts are born equal – how to spot the right ones | 73 | |
| Ensuring you have the right people, in the right room, at the right time, on the right page | 77 | |
| How to help your subject matter expert with innovation | 82 | |
| How your subject matter expert should help you | 87 | |
| We have an interested client, now what? Minimum Viable Products and managing expectations | 88 | |
| Is it repeatable and scalable (and does it always matter)? | 90 | |
| Chapter 6: Change management – dealing with people | 93 | |
| The “I’ve promised the client an app for that” lawyer | 94 | |
| The naysayer | 96 | |
| The keyboard warrior | 98 | |
| The obdurate litigator | 100 | |
| The “That should be free for my client” lawyer | 101 | |
| The enthusiastic amateur | 102 | |
| The “Can we have an app for that” lawyer | 103 | |
| The technology visionary | 105 | |
| The overcommitted lawyer | 106 | |
| The baffled-by-Excel lawyer | 108 | |
| The only interested the week before my appraisal lawyer | 109 | |
| The gold dust lawyer | 110 | |
| Chapter 7: So, you want me to collaborate? | 113 | |
| Internal collaboration – working with lawyers and business services | 113 | |
| Working with clients – the moon on a stick | 121 | |
| Working with external suppliers | 127 | |
| Working with other law firms | 127 | |
| Working with academia – is there a disconnect between research and reality? | 128 | |
| Working with funding bodies – dealing with life at a different pace | 131 | |
| Working with micro and start-up businesses | 132 | |
| Chapter 8: When things go wrong – bouncing back from lessons learned | 135 | |
| Solving the wrong problem | 135 | |
| Solving a symptom and not a root cause | 136 | |
| Seduced by the art of the possible | 137 | |
| Boiling the ocean | 138 | |
| Being swayed by the loudest voice | 143 | |
| The wisdom of crowds or following like lemmings? | 144 | |
| Assuming the end user knows what they want | 145 | |
| Having a solution before you know what the problem is | 146 | |
| Spending time on the urgent rather than the important | 147 | |
| Failing – not enough? | 147 | |
| Chapter 9: If you build it, who will come? | 149 | |
| From pilot to roll-out – hurdles, pitfalls, and the problem of reacting to anecdote rather than data | 150 | |
| What are you measuring – what does adoption success look like? | 152 | |
| Innovation solutions becoming business-as-usual – how do you gather momentum and let go? | 156 | |
| Following the crowd – adoption because everyone else is using it | 157 | |
| Chapter 10: Barriers | 159 | |
| Professional obligations | 159 | |
| People and organizational barriers | 163 | |
| Chapter 11: Politics | 173 | |
| Marketing teams – awards and the warm PR glow | 173 | |
| IT teams – products, architecture, and security | 176 | |
| Risk teams – a changing risk appetite | 181 | |
| Internal client and legal teams – just do it (even if we cannot define “it”) | 183 | |
| Chapter 12: The next big thing – looking forward | 185 | |
| Has all the digital lipstick gone? | 185 | |
| Towards a sustainable innovation model | 185 | |
| What next after the O-shaped lawyer? Upskilling future leaders | 186 | |
| About Globe Law and Business | 191 |
This book is two things: it is a guide to how to navigate the peculiarities of law firms when trying to drive innovation; and it is a salve for those that are already chartering those waters and need a regular "sanity check". Pulled together by two industry pioneers, it is a fabulously practical "how to" guide with a heavy dose of charm and humour. Even though I've been at this for over 27 years - I'll be going back to this book time and time again!
Stephen Allen
Chief Scout, Trampelpfad
Stuart and Catriona are both highly regarded leaders in the world of legal innovation, known for their ability to not only generate groundbreaking ideas but to make them happen in the real world. They have consistently demonstrated a knack for developing the right capabilities within their teams and Weightmans, creating an environment where innovation is not just a buzzword, but a driving force evidenced by tangible success. What sets them apart is their hands-on, battle-tested experience and consistent delivery of results. They have earned their reputations by rolling up their sleeves, leading from the front, and navigating the complex and often gritty process of driving change and implementation. Their approach is real and is streets apart from the theoretical - they've been in the trenches, learning from challenges, overcoming obstacles, and refining their methods through real-world successes and lessons learned. The battle scars they carry are a testament to their resilience, adaptability, and ability to lead and turn innovative ideas into operational excellence. They not only envision the future but create it. For these reasons and more this book is essential reading.
Derek Southall
Founder and CEO, Hyperscale Group
The insightful Stuart Whittle and Catriona Wolfenden thoroughly explore the state of innovation in Legal Services. The book starts with a compelling analogy between the evolving nature of case law and the adaptability required for innovation in the legal sector. It delves into the dynamics of law firms, highlighting the shift from a model that exclusively relied on ex-lawyers for management to a more professionalised approach. Stuart's candid reflection on figuring out innovation on the fly resonates with many who navigate this complex landscape. A fantastic read for anyone working in the Legal Services industry.
Shawn Curran
CEO, Jylo
Stuart Whittle
Chief innovation and technology officer at Weightmans LLP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartwhittle/
https://www.weightmans.com/people/stuart-whittle/
Stuart is a true legal innovator, recently described as “a living Action Man of legal innovation” by industry peers. Having qualified as a lawyer in 1995, he specialized in professional indemnity from then until he became the head of Weightmans’ IT department ten years later. Stuart’s interest in technology and innovation manifested itself early on in his career when, as part of the last seat of his training contract, he was assigned to work with the then IT partner. During that time, he built a database to help deal with claims relating to a major piece of litigation and also created Weightmans’ first intranet.
In 2002, he was promoted to partner. From 2003 onwards, Stuart became involved in Weightmans’ IT, designing, developing, and rolling out CMSs across the firm. In 2005, he took on responsibility for Weightmans’ IT department and in 2010 was promoted to IS and operations director and became a member of Weightmans’ Board.
Following Weightmans’ strategic review in 2017, Stuart was appointed business services and innovation director with responsibility for facilities, people and knowledge, business change, information management and technology, innovation, and risk and compliance. His current role as chief technology and innovation officer dates from 2023, having been tasked to set up a new product and innovation department to systematize Weightmans’ approach to developing products that help meet client needs. Stuart regularly presents at events with special areas of interest being around business process redesign – helping lawyers to work smartly in an uncertain market where prices are being squeezed and the quality of the service that is delivered to the client needs to be continually improved. He has a Masters in Information Technology, is a qualified coach, a Chartered IT professional, and a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Stuart is a director of the Legal IT Innovators Group, a not for profit organization run by and for its members. Stuart also set up and, until 2024, chaired the MatterSphere User Group. In 2013 Stuart was named one of Legal Business’ CIO Powerlist. He was nominated for the Lawyer’s Business Leader of the Year in 2015 and 2016 saw Legal Week rank him as one of its top 20 Innovators. He won the Innovation Trailblazer Award at the Legal Innovation Awards 2022.
Dr Catriona Wolfenden
Director of product and innovation at Weightmans LLP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-catriona-wolfenden-weightmans/
https://www.weightmans.com/people/dr-catriona-wolfenden/
Catriona leads innovation and product initiatives across Weightmans, ensuring that delivery is aligned to the firm’s overall strategy. She works closely with the innovation and product teams, clients, suppliers, and legal teams to ensure that Weightmans continues to evolve and offer marketleading solutions.
Catriona joined Weightmans in September 2007 following completion of a PhD in medical law and the Bar Vocational Course. She was admitted as a solicitor in October 2011 and promoted to partner in 2019. Catriona has plenty of first-hand experience of civil litigation as she was a team leader in the costs department and, as a professional support lawyer, frequently provided strategic know-how updates, training, and technical support both internally and externally for clients.
Catriona is regularly interviewed for articles and research projects and frequently presents at legal and innovation conferences on topics related to innovation and future skills. She was shortlisted for “rising star” at the Legal Week Innovation Awards 2019. Catriona’s team have been shortlisted finalists in 22 National Innovation awards since 2018, winning the Modern Law Awards 2019 for the “Best use of technology” as a result of a collaborative project with Kira Systems and the Computer Science Department at the University of Liverpool. They were runner-up at the British Legal Tech Awards 2020 for “Technology Venture of the Year” for an RPA EFA and runner-up for “Most Innovative Firm” at the British Legal Tech Awards 2022. Catriona has been a director of the LegalTech Association for the UK (UKLTA) and completed a three-year term on the Liverpool Enterprise Partnership Professional and Business Services Board. Catriona is a member of UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship Panel College.