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The legal sector has widely welcomed a new initiative between Tech Nation, the Lawtech Delivery Panel and the Ministry of Justice, to support digital transformation, including the launch of a LawTech Sandbox. We bring you industry reaction.

A survey of British working habits since the coronavirus lockdown began has found that more than three quarters (77%) of workers in the legal profession believe the lockdown has proven they can work effectively from home but over half say their company ought to be doing more to help.

On 28 May at 4pm BST we will speak to Shishir Shetty, vice president of technology services at Wilson Allen, and Nick Hodgson, finance director at Bevan Brittan – a client of Wilson Allen’s Proforma Tracker – about the challenges that law firms are facing; managing year end; and what firms can do now, given that the recovery from COVID-19 is expected to be a long and bumpy road. Sign up here.

Luminance’s CEO Emily Foges is joining Deloitte Legal to head its growing legal managed services business. Her hire follows the recent arrival of former TalkTalk Technology general counsel and Riverview Law head of managed services and projects, Sonia Williamson, who joined in March as a director to build Deloitte Legal’s contract management capability. Foges will be replaced at Luminance by acting CEO Jason Brennan, who joined last June from Epiq as president of the Americas.

As the legal industry grapples with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, it may seem premature for law firms, law companies and legal tech vendors to consider how best to compete once life returns to whatever ‘normal’ the future may hold. Yet life will go on – and all legal services businesses will need to equip themselves to survive (and thrive) in the post-pandemic environment.

UK businesses spend £1.59m on DSARs / Settlement reached in first ever English Technology and Construction Court Zoom trial /
Legal mental health charity releases latest COVID data /
Foundation Software hires director of innovation from Sidley / Epona announces that Culhane Meadows is in full production /
Lupl launches / Caselines announces patent application for redaction tool / Matters.Cloud partners with FreeAgent / Neota Logic forms APAC client advisory board / Casestudy – DocsCorp and SeeUnity / QuisLex ranked #1 band in new Chambers ALSP ranking / ILTA opens Distinguished Peer Awards

The biggest story of the week is the launch of Lupl, which describes itself as the world’s first open industry platform for legal matters – leaving many in the industry (including us if we’re completely honest) somewhat confused and wondering if it’s a new Reynen Court, or Microsoft Teams or Thomson Reuters HighQ (because clearly we need a box to put stuff in). Turns out, it’s none of them.

Am Law top 50 law firm Paul Hastings has received public praise for its COVID-19 relief fund for employees. We asked managing director for innovation and knowledge, Nicola Shaver, to tell us how the fund arose and how it works.

In a brand-new series of on-camera interviews, Legal IT Insider editor in chief, Caroline Hill, will speak to CIOs and lawyers across the globe to map out the way lawyers use technology and how firms’ strategy is supporting that.

TODAY we are honored to kick off the series with simultaneous live interviews with Baker McKenzie’s global CIO Daniel Surowiec and Winston & Strawn’s CIO David Cunningham.

While many big law firm AI projects have been put on hold, a raft of funding round announcements this week go to show that private equity money is flowing for the right investments. This is where they think you will be spending your cash.

Zoom is being sued for breach of contract and privacy violations in a new class action by a Saint Paulus church group in San Francisco, which claims that its bible class was ‘Zoombombed’ by a “known offender” who shared deeply disturbing pornographic video footage.

With COVID-19 lockdowns being eased globally, law firms, legal tech vendors and corporates are starting to think about sending staff back to the office, but should they, in what time frame, and with what protections in place? This is your discussion forum but we’re excited to welcome The Law Society’s director of strategic relationships, Stephen Denyer, as well as acclaimed legal tech commentator Zach Abramowitz.

Scottish law firm Patten & Prentice Solicitors has allegedly been hit with a cyber attack that we understand to be a REvil group ransomware attack, with a screenshot posted on the dark web of the Greenock-based firm’s internal folder structure.

The world’s media has turned its attention to New York law firm Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, which has been hit by a ransomware attack that is threatening to unveil confidential information about the firm’s A-list client base.

Edward Wilson has been appointed as CEO of digital operations platform Autologyx. He takes over from founder and now chief technology officer Ben Stoneham.

Australia’s largest property deal of 2019 between Urbanest and Scape Australia has completed over a telephone call, in what legal and consulting firm MinterEllison says shows how business is adapting to working in the current COVID-19 environment.