New Study Finds Cloud Adoption a Strategic Imperative for UK Law Firms in 2025 according to LexisNexis
Demand for innovation resources at UK law firms has hit an all-time high and this surge is likely to result in most firms completely migrating their operations to the cloud in the next two years, according to a new survey released this winter.
Briefing’s Frontiers 2025 survey found that the overwhelming majority (94%) of UK law firm leaders are seeing an increase in demand for their innovation teams and capabilities.
“Funding for such work is on the rise to match, but the top barrier they experience to any new potential business transformation project is other competing priorities (57%), rather than cost (39%) or technical complexity (32%),” reported Briefing. “There are signs that any stakeholder resistance has strongly fallen away.”
One of the most dramatic illustrations of this all-in commitment to technology-enabled transformation of operations is the survey’s findings with respect to cloud migration. Nearly two in three (64%) of UK law firm leaders believe they will be running their businesses completely in the cloud by 2027.
“Drawn by the range of additional features regularly rolled out designed to boost productivity and cross-firm collaboration, one-third also back the notion that the cloud is inherently lower risk than the alternative,” writes Richard Brent, head of content at Briefing.
The Cloud Migration Train
Shifting to cloud-based technology is not just a technological upgrade, it is a strategic decision for the law firm. By embracing the cloud, firms can enhance security, improve how their data sources are integrated, and deliver innovative functionality to enable the delivery of more productive and effective legal services.
When moving core business systems to the cloud, it is increasingly important for firms to have a data strategy guiding how to deliver value through connecting the data from those disparate systems. Unfortunately, the Frontiers 2025 survey found that most leaders gave their firms a score of just 5 (on a scale of 1-10) for how well they are connecting data flow between their different business systems to deliver on their goals.
Industry experts suggest that the key strategic objectives that will drive successful cloud migration of core business systems should include: improved data accessibility; enhanced collaboration; reduced IT infrastructure costs; and strict compliance with robust cybersecurity and UK legal data protection regulations.
For example:
- Assessment: Conduct a meticulous audit of the existing technological ecosystem by carefully examining each system, application and data repository. This requires a deep dive into understanding the firm’s current infrastructure, identifying mission-critical applications, and mapping out sensitive client data repositories. Evaluate key items such as network capabilities, integration potential, and the specific regulatory landscape that governs legal data management.
- Security and Compliance: Law firms should select cloud providers and software partners that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to data protection and regulatory adherence. This means prioritizing solutions that offer premier data storage and processing, advanced encryption technologies and robust authentication mechanisms.
- Measured Implementation: Firms should develop a detailed migration roadmap with clear, achievable milestones. The implementation should begin with non-critical systems, allowing for testing and refinement, while staff members are fully trained on the new cloud platforms. This also allows the firm to establish robust data backup and disaster recovery protocols in parallel to the technological transition, creating a safety net that protects against potential disruptions.
- Cloud-Based Solutions: Law firm leaders should seek out cloud solutions that are explicitly designed for legal environments, with a keen focus on industry-specific security considerations and workflow design. The ideal platforms will offer seamless integration with other leading law firm software products, provide scalable architecture that can grow with the firm’s needs, and present transparent pricing models. Equally critical is the availability of dedicated technical support professionals who understand the unique challenges of legal technology ecosystems.
Experience Cloud-Based CRM
Among these valuable cloud-based tools is a new generation of client relationship management (CRM) software offerings that drive law firm revenues and business performance. CRM applications surface crucial intelligence derived from relationship data, which helps law firms make better business decisions and build stronger relationships with clients.
LexisNexis InterAction+ is a cloud-based CRM solution at the leading edge of the industry. The software accelerates business growth in law firms of all sizes with the only legal CRM platform that utilizes relationship intelligence and reveals new business opportunities for a competitive advantage.
InterAction+ is available to law firms of any size and existing InterAction customers are able to add the cloud-hosted solution of InterAction+ with minimal effort. In the meantime, LexisNexis will continue to develop and support the traditional on-premises version of InterAction.
Click here for more information about InterAction+ or to request a free demo of the platform.
