Addleshaw Goddard has appointed Macfarlanes head of lawtech and chief knowledge and innovation officer Chris Tart-Roberts as a partner. Tart-Roberts will be working closely with Kerry Westland, Addleshaw Goddard’s head of innovation, and will play a key role in delivering technology-enabled services to financial services clients. Tart-Roberts announced two weeks ago that we was leaving Macfarlanes for a “new and exciting professional chapter.”
Addleshaw Goddard’s innovation team was formed over a decade ago and has grown substantially in that time. Westland, who is a partner at the firm, told Legal IT Insider: “The plan is that Chris will focus on delivering technology-enabled solutions to our financial services and private capital clients, including banks, financial institutions, asset managers, hedge funds and credit funds. My focus is still our firmwide approach to innovation – which includes supporting Chris in his practice, as we would we other partners across the firm. Obviously having Chris with a huge understanding of technology in a partner role is real win in driving innovation across our services.”
Commenting on his appointment, Steve Mackie, group head of finance and projects at Addleshaw Goddard, observed: “Financial Services organisations operate in a world of growing complexity, where legal risks are multiplying, regulatory demands are rising, and change is relentless. In-house legal teams face increasing pressure to deliver faster, operate leaner, and drive strategic value without compromising quality. We are combining our advanced legal technology capabilities, deep Financial Services sector understanding and Chris’s tech expertise, to help clients solve their most pressing challenges.
“We will further integrate cutting-edge technologies such as AI, automation and expert systems into our service delivery to address the evolving needs of our Financial Services clients, reinforcing our reputation for navigating complexity and unlocking value in a demanding environment.”
The appointment aligns with Addleshaw Goddard’s AG2030 strategy, which places innovation and sector expertise at the core of the firm’s growth ambitions.
Tart-Roberts told Legal IT Insider: “I’m excited to bring law and tech together at the frontline of client service, delivering “tech-native” solutions to financial services and private capital firms. Tech is fundamentally reshaping how legal services are delivered – AG’s committed to being at the forefront of that evolution. I’m excited about unlocking new capabilities for clients and the opportunity to deliver more value and more impact. With AG’s standout innovation track record and deep financial services sector expertise, I think we’ve got all the ingredients for something genuinely transformative.”