How Leeds can take advantage of 'revolutionary changes' in legal industry

A new report published by Whitecap Consulting says the legal sector has changed through innovation and technological adoption over the past five years and will continue to do so over the next five years.

And it says there is an opportunity to form stronger links between the legal and tech sectors in the Leeds City Region, to unlock the opportunities legal tech and innovation can offer.

The report highlights a number of examples of changes to working practices in law firms, the courts and internal legal team.

It says the region’s legal sector, its digital tech capability across a number of sectors and a large pool of experienced and graduate talent present a significant opportunity.

More than 1,560 legal companies are based in the Leeds City Region, which is made up of West Yorkshire and several surrounding districts, including 28 of the UK’s top 100 law firms. The sector employs in excess of 14,400 people and generates approaching £1 billion per year.

It is also home to 8,500 digital tech companies employing 57,000 people, including a number of prominent tech providers and digital consultancies.

The nine universities in the Leeds City Region have 117,840 students and produce 49,480 graduates per year, of which 3,700 are law graduates, making the region responsible for 15 per cent of the UK’s law graduates.

Richard Coates, Managing Director of Whitecap Consulting, says: "Leeds is a collaborative city, and the fact this research has been co-funded by a number of organisations, many of whom compete with each other, is a clear illustration of the collective desire to see the region’s legal sector develop and grow.”

Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan said: “The recent unprecedented challenge of the coronavirus and the massive increase and acceleration on the reliance of digital platforms and infrastructure shows the importance of city and city region economies being flexible, resilient and agile enough to respond quickly to changes in need and demand.

"As well as challenges this presents opportunities for cities and city region like Leeds being bold to embrace change and innovation to support business and ideas which will help create the jobs of the future.

"This report illustrates how well Leeds is doing in this regard but we are committed to doing more to deliver increasing levels of inclusive growth in the years to come.”

Nick Emmerson, President, Leeds Law Society, says: "Leeds is the UK centre of excellence for legal services outside of London, and this report highlights the region’s strengths across the legal sector.

"Exponential changes with technology, communications, data and algorithms mean we are now experiencing revolutionary change in the legal industry, and the Leeds legal offering is responding and leading the change in many areas.

"This report is the beginning not the end of a process – and combined with the backing from regional stakeholders, it shows that Leeds is perfectly placed to continue to thrive in the new world of legal services.”

The six-month project was supported and co-funded by organisations including Leeds City Council, Leeds Law Society, Harrogate Borough Council and Addleshaw Goddard.

The findings of the report will be discussed in a webinar taking place today as part of Leeds Digital Festival.