Intrapreneurs: forcing the pace of change

Most people in an organisation feel that “someone” should be making it more successful. But that someone is usually “someone else”. This is why the FT Innovative Lawyers awards celebrate legal intrapreneurs: the individuals who lead in making change happen.

Amid 10 strong contenders, two were highlighted by the judges in the “individual intrapreneur” award category. David Wakeling at A&O Shearman won admiration for consistently acting as a first mover in embracing the potential of new tech, most recently with generative artificial intelligence. Being such an early adopter “takes courage,” noted one judge.

But the panel felt Idoya Fernández stood out for her role in developing Cuatrecasas’s approach to knowledge management. Starting from scratch, she changed attitudes to the use of knowledge and innovation at the firm and set a challenge for its peers. It was transformative and led to her promotion to partner and board member. Her leadership means Cuatrecasas is well-placed for the changes generative AI will bring.

WINNER: Idoya Fernández
Partner, Cuatrecasas

Idoya Fernández has spent nearly six years as head of knowledge and innovation at Cuatrecasas, leading a group of 40 specialist lawyers, researchers and engineers, and was promoted to full partner last year.

Her aim is to ensure the efficiency of the firm’s operations and improve client services.

She brings to the role more than 20 years in corporate law, dealing with mergers and acquisitions, business restructurings, joint-venture agreements, and corporate contracts. Her latest project is leading the firm’s integration of AI tools with its knowledge management systems.

Fernández strives to encourage agile working and has established a rewards system for lawyers contributing to her department’s projects.

She lectures in company law at Navarre university and is authorised to practise in England and Wales.

Tiago Bessa
Partner, Vieira de Almeida

In his 17 years as an information and technology lawyer at the firm, Tiago Bessa saw how hard it was to acquire academically sound research on fast-moving areas of technology and legislation. As a writer of academic papers and articles, he wanted to bridge the gap between academia and legal practice.

So, in 2021, with the Nova School of Law in Lisbon and other leaders at Vieira de Almeida, he created WhatNext Law. This research centre brings together law practitioners, academics, and other stakeholders to explore emerging legal topics.

Made up of 20 lawyers and 40 researchers from the law school, it produces academic papers and shorter summaries of relevant subjects, such as a distillation of the EU’s new artificial intelligence act. The centre also offers workshops, internships and scholarships for graduates to pursue relevant research subjects.

Richard Coffey
Head of managed legal service delivery, Pinsent Masons

As a relative newcomer to working in a law firm, Richard Coffey saw opportunities for change when he joined Pinsent Masons in 2018.

Together with Matt Kaye, a former colleague and head of the firm’s flexible staffing unit Vario, and partner David Halliwell, Coffey proposed radical reforms to Pinsent Masons’ management of its legal services.

Coffey then took on specific responsibility for paralegals, which had been spread across 12 practice areas in the UK. In 2021, he created a centralised hub of 46 people to support the firm’s work, which has now grown to more than 100.

The aim has been to improve efficiency, as well as the training and career opportunities open to paralegals. Two years ago, Coffey set up an apprenticeship programme, in co-operation with LexisNexis, leading to paralegals taking the Solicitor Qualifying Examination.

Dawn Faulkner
Information services director, Shoosmiths

As head of information services, Dawn Faulkner is responsible for leading the firm’s cyber security efforts and securing client privacy.

She aims to use the latest technologies to protect against data breaches and future threats, and has introduced mandatory training that includes testing staff on dealing with phishing attempts.

Her approach is to foster a culture of alertness to security threats throughout the business. For example, staff face the loss of bonuses for clicking too often on links in emails sent to mimic those sent by genuine cyber attackers.

External evaluation shows an improvement in the firm’s rating of vulnerability to cyber risks, a drop in security incidents, and better regulatory compliance. Faulkner uses outside IT consultants to help in the work.

Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Faulkner worked in IT at Akzo Nobel, ICI Paints, Unilever, and Abbott Pharmaceuticals.

Paul Handal
Partner, Ecija

Paul Handal, who joined the firm in 2021 as head of legal technology, was a tax lawyer for 15 years in Honduras and has always been interested in technology. He taught himself to code before completing a master’s in legal technology in Madrid.

In 2020, he founded a boutique tech consultancy Revamps Law, focused on helping legal departments across Spain and Latin America implement new legal software. In 2021, Ecija absorbed this consultancy into its own Ecija Tech venture and Handal was made a partner.

Since then, he has changed how the firm uses tech, including implementing document automation and creating the firm’s AI strategy. He has also developed legal technologies and training for leading Spanish companies. Ecija Tech has trained more than 350 of the firm’s lawyers and 2,500 members of clients’ legal teams.

Babar Hayat
Head of technology and transformation, Eversheds Sutherland

Babar Hayat has been handling the introduction of technology into the risk and compliance industry for more than 18 years.

In 2020, he joined Konexo, the legal services arm of Eversheds Sutherland, where he now provides tech and consulting services to in-house legal teams and was promoted to partner in the division earlier this year.

He is among the pioneers advising clients and colleagues on the risks and opportunities of generative AI. He has also made internal changes at Konexo, including a mobile application that matches consultants with roles.

He passionately argues for the need to demonstrate clear reasons for changes in working methods to those people affected — and to do so early.

Previously, he spent four years as senior director at information business Thomson Reuters’ legal division, where he led on strategy for the rollout of several of its services.

Sebastian Lach
Partner, Hogan Lovells

Sebastian Lach — head of the firm’s investigations, white collar and fraud practice in Germany — led the development of Hogan Lovells legal technology subsidiary Eltemate, which launched in 2023.

It advises clients on choosing the best technology for their legal problems, by either developing proprietary software or refining third-party applications. The business now employs more than 80 lawyers, developers and engineers worldwide, providing advice and IT support to 800-plus clients.

Examples of the proprietary technology Eltemate has developed include an AI-powered Regulatory Pilot that scans the internet for regulatory changes, and Craig, an assistant that helps automate common legal tasks.

Lach has also advised various clients on creating global compliance systems and has successfully advised on criminal matters, including bribery and fraud.

Inês Setil
Director, projects & innovation, PLMJ

Inês Setil trained in the law, but her career has centred on the operations side of the business. She worked in knowledge management and as chief operating officer at Gama Glória, another Portuguese firm, after a 10-year spell at Morais Leitão before arriving at PLMJ in 2020 as head of innovation.

Here, she has been tasked with changing how the firm manages its data and technology and has led the implementation of new services, including automated document generation and an internal generative AI system.

In 2023, she led the setting up of Buzz Legal, a small in-house team that aims to create new tech tools for the firm and its clients, which launched formally this year. Its projects include a tool that monitors organisations’ insolvency proceedings and another that automates the gathering and completion of business registration certificates. Clients are currently testing both.

David Wakeling
Partner, A&O Shearman

David Wakeling has been leading the firm’s investment in and rollout of Harvey — generative AI software designed for legal use. He began this process at Allen & Overy before its merger with Shearman & Sterling in May.

Law firms often favour “second-mover advantage” but Wakeling was among the first to adopt generative AI for his firm.

The firm has found several potential uses for the technology and rolled it out to all staff. The most prominent application so far is ContractMatrix, which combines generative AI drafting with conventional software to judge whether a newly drafted clause meets the best standard, subject to human oversight.

Wakeling and his colleagues have also launched a practice advising clients on how to engage with AI and a working group for 70 clients who pay a membership fee in exchange for quick responses to AI-related queries and syndicated advice.

Drew Winlaw
Partner, Simmons & Simmons

Drew Winlaw has changed the firm’s approach to legal technology. In 2023, he was appointed as its lead on large language models and developed Percy — generative AI software designed for legal use. The tool is used for summaries, translation, proofreading, and more complex tasks, such as searching witness statements for inconsistencies.

Winlaw uses Percy, in part, as an educational project to improve overall AI literacy at the firm. Since its launch in 2023, more than 2,000 people at Simmons & Simmons have been trained to use Percy, which the firm says receives more than 1,000 inquiries a day.

He also continues to lead Wavelength, which he co-founded in 2016 as a self-styled “legal engineering” business. Bought by Simmons & Simmons in 2019, its activities include assessing legal tech to address clients’ problems, and using data scientists alongside legal experts to analyse client data.

Profiles compiled and edited by RSGI researchers and FT editors. “Winner” indicates an Innovative Lawyers 2024 award, the rest are in alphabetical order.