WE R LegalTech Conference 2025

0915 Registration and welcome refreshments

0945 PART ONE: AI implications and impact on life, law and lawyers 

Featuring the state of the nation Innovate UK report on innovation and tech opportunities in legal and professional services and a challenging, fast-moving and eye-opening series of dispatches from the cutting edge where laws - and lawyers - are being reshaped by AI & advanced technology, from IP to assets to disputes. Featuring Julian Wells (Director, Whitecap Consulting and Chair Legaltech in Leeds), Professor Sarah Green, Tom Whittaker (tech and disputes specialist, Burges Salmon), Cobus Jooste (University of West of England).

1145 PART TWO AI & digital innovation - what lawyers and firms can do right now 

Shifting our focus to right here, right now (plus a bit of ‘right next’) tools, skills and initiatives that can be applied in firms of just about any shape or size.  It will be a strategic discussion around the challenges and opportunities you are seeing as Leaders, how you are addressing them and how your roles are being impacted and iterated by these changes.  With our guest facilitator Rachel Barnes (innovation and change leader & consultant) and tech leaders from across the region – Steve Whitwham (Clarke Willmott) Dave Bloor (VWV), Sophie Anderson (Foot Anstey), Eddie Twemlow (Burges Salmon) and the national co-lead for the TiPS (Technology in Professional Services) programme, Professor Martin Spring.  Including our very own ‘Top of the Pops’ tech tools top ten

1415 PART THREE – Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask…..

Choose from a variety of streams including:

STREAM ONEFor Lawyers and Law Firms hosted by Bristol Law Society President Coralie McKeivor and Ben Darby, Devon & Somerset Law Society and many more, featuring our ‘Lawyers Question Time’ expert panel - Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask about AI in law

STREAM TWOFor Innovators, Designers, Engineers and Entrepreneurs - hosted by Alex Baker (Legal Tech Collective) with Austin Milne (AXM Studios / Shake), Jay Smith (SenseCheck) & many more -  Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask about turning a legaltech idea into a successful product

1545 PART FOUR The Human Dimension  

The tech is important, but we now we need to focus on the people and how to create human-centred change in a profession that can struggle to adapt at pace.  This is a must-attend for all Law firm leaders and all innovation and technology specialists alike.  Our contributors including Rachel Barnes, Sue Turner (Founding Director, AI Governance), Dan Wright (Partner & Head of Osborne Clarke Solutions), Simon Holdsworth (Managing Partner, Thrings) and Joanna Goodman (Journalist & Columnist at Law Society Gazette), Sophie Anderson (Foot Anstey), Jay Smith (SenseCheck) don’t have all the answers but you will take away a treasury of new ideas and insights.

1745 PART FIVE - Party on the Pier

Not your average post-conference one drink and some crisps for us, oh no!  Captain Jack’s Bar is exclusively ours for the evening and we’ve got a fish n chip supper, dodgems, the Marlin racing simulator championship, pier arcade games (complete with your own pot of 2p’s), ‘DJ set’ playlists from local legaltech legends and much more into late.  

• Train - its about 15 mins walk to the end of the pier from the station (green circle) (ignore the 25mins, that's if you also walk to the car park!). There are plenty of Trains from BTM that will get you there on time 8.25 BTM arrives 09.02! And plenty into the evening too!
• Car - the pier has a discount with the Sovereign car park - check the link for rates and details https://www.grandpier.co.uk/buy/ (red circle)