An Allen & Overy perspective on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead -

The global legal market is approaching a tipping point. Cost pressures, regulatory overload, the challenges of scale and global reach, advances in technology, diversification of providers and the workplace expectations of a new generation of lawyers entering the profession are combining to present the in-house legal function with choices that it can no longer defer or avoid. How General Counsel and their leadership teams respond to these transformational challenges over the next decade will determine the future of the in-house legal function.

In this analysis, we assess the impact of the current and emerging developments that are transforming the legal market and share our perspective on how the in-house legal function can best position itself to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead. In addition, we propose practical ways in which legal functions will in the future innovate to deliver the business-as-usual elements of their service with less direct lawyer intervention, so as to enable lawyers to focus on value added elements.