Early Bird: Confirm your place by 20.02.26 and save £300 use code DATALON
DATA / AI / INNOVATION / GOVERNANCE
The UK legal market enters 2026 at a structural inflection point.
Data is no longer a back-office concern - it is the organising principle of how legal work is priced, delivered, governed, and measured.
The past year has marked a tipping point in the modernization of data strategy within the UK legal sector. Law firms are recognizing that data has become a strategic imperative, not just something to collect and store, but a cornerstone of competitive strategy.
In 2025, UK law firms and corporate legal departments alike accelerated efforts to harness data and technology to transform how legal services are delivered. This transformation is driven by twin pressures: clients’ demand for greater value and efficiency, and the rapid advances in technology (especially artificial intelligence) that offer new ways to meet those demands.
The UK legal market is experiencing fundamental shifts as a result, from billing models and client expectations to internal operations and talent management.
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
Nature's Symphony
In 2026 we’ll focus on:
- Market, Regulatory & Compliance Landscape
- Technology & Architecture: From Legacy Stacks to Operational Intelligence
- The Pillars of Modern Data Strategies
- Generative & Agentic AI: From Pilot Purgatory to Production
- Talent, Culture & the Human Interface
- In-House Counsel & Legal Operations: Demand-Side Rewiring
- Future Outlook: 2026 and Beyond
Confirm your place and join your pers.
Key Details
DATE: Wednesday, 9th April, 2026
TIME: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
LOCATION: London
20
Expert Speakers
100+
Attendees
10
In-depth Sessions
8+
Hours of Collaboration
Who Attends
- Managing Partners, Firm Leadership & C-Suite Executives
- Heads of Data, Analytics, BI, and Innovation
- Legal Technology, IT, and Legal Operations Leaders
- Chief Knowledge Officers, Practice Innovation Leads
- Legal Professionals preparing for AI & analytics integration
- Anyone responsible for data governance, systems implementation, or strategic planning
Why Attend
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire data lifecycle and how to build a holistic data strategy tailored for law firms.
- Learn from experienced practitioners and industry innovators about real-world successes and challenges, including data extraction, warehouse buildouts, governance, analytics, and AI readiness.
- Take away practical frameworks and actionable next steps you can implement in your firm, whether you’re at the beginning of your data journey or looking to mature existing capabilities.
- Connect with peers, thought-leaders, and cross-functional professionals in legal, technology, operations, and leadership, build relationships that can support your firm’s transformation roadmap.
Past Legal Tech Programs
Our Speaking Faculty
We are curating a senior, practitioner-led faculty for Inside Legal Data and welcome proposals from leaders actively responsible for designing, governing, and operationalising data at scale within legal organisations.
We welcome contributions from those who can:
- Share a real-world case study on embedding wellbeing into firm culture, leadership practice, or operating models
- Lead a strategic discussion on wellbeing as leadership accountability, professional responsibility, or organisational design
- Facilitate a practical session or workshop on measuring wellbeing, preventing burnout, building psychological safety, or sustaining high performance in demanding legal environments
- Explore sponsorship or partnership opportunities to engage a senior community of law firm leaders, people strategy professionals, and wellbeing practitioners shaping the future of the profession
If you are actively involved in designing, delivering, or governing wellbeing at scale within legal organisations, and want to contribute to a serious, forward-looking conversation, we would welcome hearing from you.
Interested in joining us at Inside Legal Data?
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Agenda
Thursday, 09 April 2026, UK GMT
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration / Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Chair Persons Opening Remarks
9:10 AM – 9:55 AM / KEYNOTE
Preserving Institutional Intelligence:
Using AI Agents to Transform Tacit Knowledge into Data Assets
Law firms hold a wealth of unwritten knowledge embedded in their people. With turnover, shifts in workforce, and retirement accelerating, capturing that expertise is essential for maintaining competitive advantage. This session examines how firms can systematize tacit knowledge, harness AI agents to extract and organize high-value information, and embed this insight into future-ready data strategies.
Speaker
Sarah Pullin
Global Director of Knowledge
Baker Mckenzie
9:55 AM - 10:40 AM
Rebuilding Law Firm Data Strategy:
From Foundation to Action
Discover how law firms can modernize their data strategy by transforming raw, structured and unstructured data into actionable insights. Learn how to ensure data accuracy, accessibility, and connectivity across people, client, and knowledge sources, while leveraging AI tools to eliminate silos, improve discoverability, and support a future-ready data ecosystem.
Speakers
Jonathan Elam
Legal Operations Data Lead
CMS
Petra Smith
Information Governance Manager
HFW
10:40 AM – 11:05 AM
Networking AM Coffee Break
11:05 AM - 11:50 AM
Case Study - From Compliance to Value Creation:
How Mishcon Reinvented Data Governance to Treat Data as a Strategic Asset
Many law firms still experience data governance as a slow, compliance-driven function—one focused on policies, controls, and risk mitigation rather than business enablement. At Mishcon, we realised that this traditional model was no longer fit for purpose in a world where AI adoption, cross-practice collaboration, trusted data foundations, and the “race to insight” increasingly determine competitive advantage.
Over the past year, I have led a full refresh of our Data Governance Council (DGC), transforming it from a policy-heavy body into a strategic engine for value creation. This session will take delegates through the practical steps, leadership alignment, frameworks, and cultural changes needed to shift governance from a barrier to a business catalyst.
Speakers
Kirit Solanki
Head of Data
Mishcon de Reya LLP
11:50 AM - 12:35 PM
Bridging Intelligence and Institutional Memory:
The Impact of MCP on Law Firm Data Strategy
The effective use of generative AI at Law Firms will go beyond just adoption, to securely connecting these models to a firm’s collective institutional memory. Current methods involving disconnected data silos and bespoke integrations often present challenges regarding scalability and security. An emerging standard intended to address these issues is the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This session will provide a practical, technical, and strategic overview of the transition towards an MCP-enabled data estate.
MORE
We will explore how MCP acts as a standardized bridge, allowing AI models to safely interact with proprietary "tools"—the DMS, Knowledge Libraries Data Lakehouse, Experience Management, and financial systems—while maintaining respect for granular user permissions. The discussion will examine the infrastructure adjustments needed to ensure data repositories are "MCP-ready" and explore the importance of reviewing underlying governance models now in preparation for future deployment. We will also look at how an MCP-first strategy might offer firms greater flexibility to adopt emerging AI models without incurring the significant technical debt of rebuilding data pipelines. The session aims to equip attendees with the necessary context to evolve their data strategy from passive storage toward active, secure intelligence.
Speaker
Eric Anderson
Senior Director, Technology, Data & AI, Legal Solutions
Epiq Advisory for Law Firms
12:35 PM - 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
From Dashboards to Decisions:
Turn Data into Pricing, Margin & Client Value
Explore how law firms can transform data from a passive resource into a powerful asset that drives revenue and strengthens client relationships. This session will focus on maximizing the expertise within your team, streamlining workflows, and doing more with fewer resources while aligning data strategy with overall business goals. Learn practical approaches to measure ROI and leverage data to improve operational efficiency and client engagement, turning insights into measurable business impact.
Speaker
Paul McMonagle
Enterprise Architect
Taylor Wessing
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Optimizing Technology and AI Solutions for Law Firm Data Strategy
Explore how law firms can strategically evaluate, implement, and maximize the impact of technology and AI solutions within their data strategy. This session will cover the end-to-end process, including solution selection, onboarding, integration with existing systems, and setting measurable goals and KPIs. Learn how to oversee new tools effectively, calculate ROI, and benchmark against competitors, all while fostering strong partnerships with vendors. Attendees will gain actionable insights on aligning technology investments with organizational objectives, ensuring efficiency, and driving measurable results.
Speakers
Rupert Brown
Director
InterAction Professional Services LexisNexis
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Networking Break
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Governance 2.0:
Integrating Data Governance, AI Governance, Privacy, and Cyber Risk
Explore the critical role of data governance in law firms as a cornerstone of a secure and efficient data strategy. This session will cover best practices for regulating data access, implementing a leadership-driven approach, and maintaining oversight to protect your organization from risk. Learn how to effectively communicate governance policies to stakeholders and ensure accountability at every level, creating a culture where data is both accessible and secure.
Speakers
Dani Alman
Data Governance Lead
Pinsent Masons
Petra Smith
Information Governance Manager
HWF
4:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Building the Business Case for Long-Term Data Strategy Investment in Law Firms
Explore how law firms can justify and secure investment in a robust data strategy. This session will cover best practices for creating financial plans for both immediate and long-term data initiatives, including data collection, sanitization, storage, and utilization. Learn how to effectively communicate the strategic value of data to leadership, optimize resource allocation, and minimize waste, ensuring your firm’s data strategy drives measurable business outcomes.
Speaker
Tom Delaney
Head of Data and Business Intelligence, Business Change and Projects
Birketts LLP
5:00 PM - 5:45 PM
Shaping the 2030 Law Firm Data Strategy:
Capital, AI, Talent & the Next Operating Model
Explore the critical role of data governance in law firms as a cornerstone of a secure and efficient data strategy. This session will cover best practices for regulating data access, implementing a leadership-driven approach, and maintaining oversight to protect your organization from risk. Learn how to effectively communicate governance policies to stakeholders and ensure accountability at every level, creating a culture where data is both accessible and secure.
Speakers
Simon Rees
Head of Data Architecture & Insights
Bird & Bird LLP
5:45 PM- 6:00 PM
Chairperson’s Closing Remarks
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Networking Reception
Join the Discussion
Join your peers and fellow innovators at Inside Legal Data: London to -
- Gain ready-to-implement tools and frameworks to embed a data-driven culture deeper into your firm’s DNA.
- Learn from senior leaders and expert practitioners who are already driving data-focused culture change, aligning data initiatives with business goals, and measuring impact.
- Build your network among professionals passionate about leveraging data in legal practice - including law firm innovators, in-house counsel, legal operations leaders, and technology partners.
Stay tuned, speakers and panels coming soon!
Early Bird: Confirm your place by 20.02.26 and save £300 use code DATALON
REGISTRATION
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contact@insidepractice.com
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