In response, Access Legal has reinforced its GenAI strategy to help firms close the readiness gap with secure, user-friendly solutions and embedded GenAI functionality into a number of its legal solutions, developed in collaboration with Microsoft.
At its Redefining The Future of Legal Tech event in May, Access Legal, part of The Access Group, brought together law firm leaders, technologists, and sector experts to discuss how AI is reshaping legal work and the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
The event emphasised moving beyond AI hype to practical implementation, enhancing daily productivity, strengthening compliance, and driving long-term growth. Through keynote talks, panel sessions and product demonstrations, speakers explored how law firms can adopt AI with confidence, clarity and control.
Keynote speaker and legal expert Simon McCrum, previous Managing Partner of Darby’s Solicitors and now author of the Law Firm Management Trilogy shared insights on how “the perfect legal business blends great people with smart processes and enabling technology.” This sentiment was echoed across discussions during the event around change management, client trust, ethics, and the evolving expectations of legal professionals and clients alike.
“AI is not here to replace lawyers” was another key message from the day and brought to life with Access Legal’s rapidly developing GenAI software demoing in action - drafting emails, summarising documents, surfacing policy guidance, and flagging sentiment issues – designed to ‘free up precious time from repetitive, low-value tasks’ so fee-earners can focus on strategy, client counsel and outcomes.
Andrew Stevens, General Manager at Access Legal, commented: “Feedback from our customers highlights the strong belief in AI's potential but also the uncertainty about where to start. The stats around integration challenges and reliability of AI outputs signal the need for a clear roadmap and guidance.
“Our strategy is focused on closing that gap. We’re developing GenAI tools that will deliver impact - helping firms improve efficiency, free up legal expertise, and elevate the client experience. And we’re doing it securely, responsibly, and in close partnership with our customers to ensure it works in their real world.”
Throughout the event, speakers including Stephen Brown at Lights-On Consultancy, Frances Anderson, CEO of NetLaw Media and Akriti Mehta, Data and AI Solutions Architect at Microsoft, alongside Access product specialists addressed the practicalities of introducing GenAI, from user adoption, to risk management and data governance. Attendees were encouraged to view implementation as a phased, collaborative journey rather than a one-off transformation, with success driven by leadership and continuous learning across the sector.
The clear takeaway - technology, data security and client expectations are reshaping what's possible and what's expected in legal practice and Access Legal is breaking new ground to redefine the future of legal practice.
To explore more about Access Legal and AI in the legal sector, visit: AI in Legal: Transforming the Legal Industry for Law Firms