Editor’s Letter

In-house legal tech usage worldwide

The paralysing shock brought by the global pandemic may now feel like a distant memory, but there is little doubt that a new era has begun. In this ‘new normal’, as the media labels it, the consequent need to treat digitalisation as an essential ally to carry out daily tasks has forced businesses to approach technology from a whole new angle. Even at the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, The Legal 500 never ceased its interaction with legal professionals worldwide. As the world reopens and in-person global events are now an actuality, we have had more opportunities to speak with our vast global in-house and private practice communities and it appears that the legal industry is at the forefront of this technology debate. The developments arising out of the pandemic have prompted legal teams across the globe to recognise the need to become more responsive, agile, adaptive, and resilient, while the introduction of legal tech is gaining momentum and challenges traditional ways of providing legal services.