The Legal Services Sector: The office as a centre of innovation

New technologies, disruptive market entrants, shifting workforce preferences and changing client demands. These powerful forces are transforming what lawyers do and how they do it.
3 minutes to read
Categories: UK

The most resilient firms will be those that successfully adopt and apply new technologies, continually deliver innovative solutions to clients, convey a differentiated culture and purpose, operate with agility and deliver work in the most efficient and productive way.  

As a result, an innovation imperative is at work within the legal services sector. Indeed, a recent Law Society survey found that 77% of law firm leaders believe that innovation is critical to exploit opportunities and differentiate.

This is directly impacting upon the function, use, design and even location of office space found within law firms’ occupied portfolios. A key trend has been the creation of dedicated innovation hubs by a number of leading law firms, with a range of different approaches emerging. 

Dedicated space in existing occupied portfolio

Some law firms are carving out dedicated innovation space within their existing office portfolios. Allen & Overy, for example, operate a technology innovation space called Fuse at their London headquarters.

Its concept for Fuse is centred around five ‘C’s: Collaboration, Community, Concentration, Contemplation and Confidentiality.  The space features a combination of open office space, single workstation kiosks and a secure 

working area for confidential groups or meetings. The design also allows for flexible use, and can be converted into a demonstration and social area for lectures and social events. A coffee kiosk and lounge area enhance the community-feel of the space. 

Partnership approach

Barclays recently launched a dedicated law-tech lab in Notting Hill. The centre of excellence includes co-working space and support for up to 100 individuals. The lab is backed by a number of law firms including Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy and Simmons & Simmons.

Partnering law firms provide guidance to help start-ups develop, test and refine their ideas, with the potential to implement new emerging technologies into their own firms. 

Separate entities

Dentons launched its business accelerator called Nextlaw Labs in 2015. The venture is wholly owned by Dentons, but operates autonomously across the globe with a base in Silicon Valley.

Investments it has made include Ross, which is a big technology partnership with IBM and Libryo, an online tool which enables users at any organisation to know the applicable legal obligations they face in any situation.

Providing spaces to collaborate

No longer is the law firm office about housing row upon row of staff or 100% cellular offices. Instead, the office is increasingly open and collaborative in order to fuel innovation.

A prime example is Shoosmiths LLP’s Manchester office within The XYZ building in Spinningfields. The building incorporates over ten different work settings within its fit-out that allows people to choose a workspace best suited to the task they are carrying out, enhancing collaboration and creativity.

As the innovation imperative intensifies, legal services occupiers are taking new approaches to real estate in order to instil a stronger culture of innovation, access new ideas and obtain a toehold into latest technology and thinking.  

It is a trend we see across a wide range of sectors. In many senses it is the very latest incarnation of the office – as an innovation centre. What it does is make real estate even more central to future business success.