Briefing Magazine, January 2026: Pathways to process that fits the practice
Nigel Williams, product director and interim head at LexisNexis Enterprise Solutions, says a firm’s technology strategy in 2026 needs tools with the flexibility to fit a range of possible futures — and practical routes for reaching them
A forward-thinking law firm’s technology strategy today is a world away from the work that faced Nigel Williams when supporting lawyers at his first firm three decades ago. In 2026, firms are trying to balance modernisation, operational resilience and AI adoption — all without destabilising live work.
Risk profiles, for example, have radically shifted in line with multiple pressures — including more efficient remote and dispersed work, demonstrating ROI from AI pilots moving beyond experimentation, democratised toolsets and agile response to transformation-hungry clients — and increasing scrutiny on governance, data, and security — all while leaders must protect both revenue and reputation from bad actors.
In short, you can no longer simply assess suppliers every few years and select the best/most cost-effective case or matter management system. Solutions must still fit a firm’s approach and immediate goals but also have the flexibility to move with these contexts — without locking it into decisions it may later need to unwind — including how the firm governs AI use, captures and trusts matter data, and manages change without disrupting fee earners.
Let the system serve the work required
A good example is a firm that has to manage changing levels of demand — from lower value, higher volume, highly processed work, to more complex, often multi-party instructions. It’s a characteristic that made Clyde & Co the go-to collaborative partner when LexisNexis Enterprise Solutions developed Lexis Everyfile to complement the established, customisable Visualfiles case management system (version 7 arrives in 2026). A key lesson from that work is that supporting different teams isn’t only a workflow challenge — it depends on agreeing and governing consistent matter data that can flex across use cases.
Williams says: “Whether it’s case management for conveyancing, matter management in corporate, document or legal project management, it’s all ultimately legal work — and there’s always a client at the end. ”This is the ethos of Everyfile — delivering workflow solutions that are easily tailored to the specific tasks at hand.” In simple terms, Visualfiles remains best suited to complex, bespoke, repetitive and high-volume casework. Everyfile is designed for rapid change and lower adoption friction where firms want flexible work management with less intrusion and access anywhere, on any device — reflecting that not all legal work, or team, operates in the same way.
“Lawyers need a toolset to match their way of working more effectively, whether that’s with process, documents, in client-facing interactions, or collaborative project management.”
In addition, most Briefing firms will be exploring options to apply genAI in parts of workflows — weighing the cost and expected outcomes. “The worlds of legal work management and advances in AI work best together as a blend. Is repetitive, high-volume work best handled by AI? If something happens outside the norm, for legal guidance, or complex document operations, AI is a great assistant.” He points to the power of tools such as LexisNexis Protégé, which support lawyers to be more productive where work takes place. These AI tools enhance professional judgement.
