Technology is a valuable tool for increasing productivity and competitiveness, yet the incorporation of technology into legal services remains limited. To support the development and adoption of technology into practice, the City Corporation created the Lawtech Sounding Board (LTSB), which provides an anti-competitive forum for discussion between the legal and technology communities. Its aim is to foster a better understanding of common issues and to encourage development of solutions-based products and processes that will evolve legal service delivery. Established in 2019, the LTSB has been the leading cross-sector forum for innovation across the UK legal services industry. One LTSB working group led a series of roundtables focussed on "Tech Transformation: The Missing Conversations.” This recognised the vital role that technology plays in the future delivery of legal services, but also the challenges that are often encountered by tech transformation projects across private practice and in-house functions. The aim of the roundtables was to open discussions around the drivers for tech transformation and how it can be conducted in a way that meets its full potential and the objectives of all those involved across the legal services supply chain. By exploring the topic from the perspective of in-house counsel, private practice and tech vendors the project’s aim was to encourage a fresh and open dialogue to accelerate positive change across the legal sector. Throughout the roundtable sessions, hosted with representatives from in house counsel, a number of barriers in tech adoption were identified: for instance, tech adoption brings operational efficiency and cost reduction, but this was not the top priority for private practice. In addition, the interest in a product was highly dependent on ease of integration. Some of the main challenges when implementing a technology project was lack of clear mandate from the top, a constant clash with procurement teams and tech solutions not being user friendly. Besides, contrary to in house counsel’s beliefs, ranked operational efficiency and cost reduction as the top driver of tech adoption. They highlighted how law firms had a variety of ‘clients’ and a range of stakeholders when it came to digital transformation, and how they needed to navigate these different interests to be able to successfully implement a project. Law firms would like tech providers to better understand their business and functional requirements, competences, skills, governance, and business models. Celebrating the Lawtech Sounding Board The City of London Corporation is hosting an event on Monday 20th November to celebrate the work of the Lawtech Sounding Board and reflect on the lessons learnt from the Tech Transformation sessions. This will be hosted by Catherine McGuinness, Chair of the Lawtech Sounding Board with discussions led by Professor Michael Smets, Saïd Business School, Oxford University and contributions from panel representatives across the legal and tech sectors. The panels will take place 15:00-17:00 followed by refreshments and networking until 19:00. If interested in attending, please email techinnovationteam@cityoflondon.gov.uk and we’ll see you there! Current members include representatives from: Addleshaw Goddard Ankura AutologyX Chevron City University of London CMS Content Square Deloitte Doyenne Consulting Eversheds Sutherland Ignition Law Legatics Lewis Silkin Lexington Consultants Lexoo Macfarlanes Ministry of Justice Monzo Oaktree Capital Office and Dragons Pinsent Masons Rolls Royce Simmons Wavelength Slaughter and May Solicitors Regulation Authority South Bank University Tabled The Law Society Vodafone Weightmans