Building resilience: Adapting legal teams for future challenges | the LexisNexis in-house legal tech report 2025
Legal teams today face cost pressures, geopolitical risk, and digital disruption. Building resilience means investing in people, technology, and strategy so in-house teams can withstand shocks and thrive in uncertainty.
The financial backbone of resilience
Resilience begins with financial stability. The Law Society’s 2025 Financial Benchmarking Survey, conducted with Hazlewoods, shows how firms across England and Wales maintained profitability despite inflationary pressures and rising costs. For in-house counsel, these findings highlight the importance of aligning with finance leaders to ensure legal departments can absorb shocks while continuing to invest in future capabilities.
General Counsel who can benchmark performance against peers not only protect budgets but also position their teams as strategic contributors to business resilience. Embedding legal data analytics into reporting can make a difference here—translating legal work into measurable business impact.
Get access to the UK’s largest collection of legal content with Lexis Research.
People and leadership at the core
A resilient legal function is powered by strong leadership and a sustainable talent strategy. The Law Society and MHA’s Strategic Insights for Mid-sized Firms report identifies talent retention, succession planning, and leadership continuity as top priorities for 2025. These themes apply equally to in-house legal teams, where retaining institutional knowledge and upskilling teams is critical.
Legal leaders must invest in building adaptive skillsets—ranging from risk management to digital literacy. Embedding legal technology consulting into workforce planning can reduce burnout, speed up workflows, and create capacity for high-value strategic work.
Work faster and smarter with Lexis+ Legal Guidance.
Technology and digital transformation
Technology is now central to legal resilience. PwC’s risk and resilience analysis highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks and the need for robust infrastructure. For in-house legal leaders, this means pushing beyond traditional risk management into operational resilience planning—ensuring legal teams are equipped with the right tools, processes, and secure systems.
The LexisNexis In-house Legal Tech Report 2025 found that over 70% of in-house teams plan to increase investment in legal tech solutions, with priorities ranging from contract automation to data-driven insights. Cloud law practice management software and legal data analytics are fast becoming essentials, not optional add-ons.
Transform your legal workflow today with Lexis+ AI.
Expanding the definition of risk management
Resilience is no longer about reacting to legal risk—it requires anticipating operational, geopolitical, and digital threats. PwC’s findings reinforce that law firms and corporate legal teams alike must broaden their scope, from cyber readiness to supply chain resilience.
For GCs, this means reframing the legal function as a hub for enterprise-wide risk intelligence. By combining legal expertise with technology-driven insights, in-house leaders can deliver strategic foresight to the C-suite.
Sign up to a free trial of Lexis+.
Building resilience through innovation
Resilient legal teams are not only prepared for disruption—they actively innovate to stay ahead. The LexisNexis In-house Innovation series shows how forward-looking GCs are driving transformation through legal tech and innovation. From smarter client engagement to AI-supercharged drafting, resilience and innovation now go hand in hand.
Case studies from organisations like Southampton FC and The Co-operative Group demonstrate how embracing new technology strengthens not just legal departments but wider organisational resilience.
Draft brilliant legal documents with Lexis Create+.
For in-house counsel, resilience is built on four pillars: financial alignment, strong leadership, technology adoption, and risk preparedness. By embedding legal tech consulting into strategy and championing innovation, legal leaders can adapt to future challenges and secure their seat at the strategic table.
