In a move designed to help the European legal technology market ‘play catch up’, The European Legal Technology Association (ELTA) was formally founded today (19 September), bringing together law firms, companies, legal tech providers, start-ups, and individuals with an interest in legal business and legal technology from all over Europe.
The Berlin-based organisation is the brainchild of chairman Dr. Hariolf Wenzler, chief strategy officer for Germany and Austria at Baker & McKenzie.
Wenzler is joined on the ELTA management board by Dr. Micha-Manuel Bues, managing director of Leverton, and Tobias Heining, director of business development and communication at CMS.
Wenzler said: “I am very pleased indeed that we have been able to establish the ELTA, a goal that I have been working on for some considerable time. Legal technology is going to change the legal market, presenting both opportunities and risks for existing business models. We want to highlight developments, bring the relevant players together, and take a pioneering role in Europe.”
“In matters of legal tech, Europe is still years behind the US. With this in mind, by providing a platform for bringing everyone with an interest in legal tech together at a European level, the ELTA will play an active part in the race to catch-up,” added Micha-Manuel Bues.
ELTA will be doing well if it catches up with US legal tech association ILTA (www.iltanet.org), which is the leading peer networking organisation in the legal market. For nearly 30 years the organisation, which used to be called LawNet, has led the way in sharing knowledge and experience, including at its annual conference, which this year took place in Washington.
For more information about ELTA see www.legal-tech-association.eu