The UK is at the forefront of legal innovation in Europe

The UK is the leading legal innovation hub in Northern Europe, while Spain, a leader in legal tech in the South, is bringing innovation and cutting-edge companies. Barcelona is one of the top spots, favoured by an international environment of innovation and the consolidation of disruptive providers.

Highlighting the high-tech cities in Northern Europe, London is one of the epicentres of innovation in the legal sector, with consolidated infrastructure, a large talent base and growing adoption of new technologies. According to UK government research, 29 per cent of companies adopting artificial intelligence solutions are from the legal sector.

However, considered the ‘European Silicon Valley,’ Barcelona is the one that aspires to become the spearhead of legal technology development in Southern Europe. Google landed in Barcelona this year, opening its new office, which has been joined by brands such as Revolut or Payfit, attracted by the city’s entrepreneurship and innovation environment.

According to Gartner, legal areas are set to increase spending on technology solutions by 200 per cent by 2025, while the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) indicates that 42 per cent of corporate lawyers say they will adopt new legal tech solutions over the next year. This is an upward development that is in line with the creation of an innovative legal tech culture in Europe.

In addition to an international environment and talent pool, there is a growing number of software vendors and companies scaling their solutions to an increasingly popular market. Contract automation, electronic signature or Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solutions provide legal teams with technology to boost their legal operations.

Sergio Esteve de Miguel is Co-CEO of Bigle Legal, one of the legal tech scale-ups that have consolidated its growth. With a prestigious international client portfolio and a global network of partnerships, the company expansion has gone from its offices in Madrid and Barcelona to opening in London at the end of 2021.

He explains that London, “has the necessary ingredients to position itself as the reference hub for legal tech worldwide.”

Esteve de Miguel adds that large multinationals based in London are open to the innovation offered by legal tech software. Companies are embracing solutions that modernise their legal operations, starting with the legal department, which is increasingly aware that it needs technology to thrive, comply with compliance and regulation, as well as to retain talent.