IE Law School and ECIJA present their report on the impact of technology on legal departments

Although LegalTech tools are not currently radically transforming the legal sector, they are substantially improving the way lawyers work. It’s undeniable that a well-planned and well-executed technology implementation project has the capacity to generate enough value. This was one of the main conclusions of the report on the impact of technology on companies’ legal departments, the result of a previous focus group with various professionals in the sector.

The Digital Law Observatory was created with a view to explore and research the different legal dimensions and implications of the digital economy. The Observatory aims to become a platform for legal and academic research and dissemination within this new legal framework.

Among the attendees were Rosario Baquero, head of Iberdrola's global legal services for Corporate Resources; Juan Riego, director of legal advice and secretary of the Board of Carrefour Spain; Diolimar García, director of legal advice, digital transformation and global projects at Prosegur Spain; Alejandro Sánchez del Campo, innovation and LegalTech advisor; and Paul Handal, partner of Legaltech at ECIJA. Macarena Plaza, head of corporate development and legal innovation at IE Law School and academic director of the Observatory, also welcomed everyone to the event.

Among other topics, there was a discussion on how the innovation process in a legal department has to rely on a team of professionals, processes and tools. "We should not set up a project without having a business case or buy a tool without a pilot," stated Diliomar García, who also stressed the essential point of involving the team and asking questions to ensure that the initiative does not end up being an imposition.  

In view of the need to make a prior analysis of the situation of each legal department to understand the motivation behind the proposed changes, Rosario Baquero pointed out: "When launching a digital transformation project, you have to be clear from the beginning about the type of legal counsel strategy that you’re aiming toward." Juan Riego also said that "today, there is no single solution that meets all needs," adding that "we must lose our fear of change and not give up finding the right tool for the organization."