Strategy for a new world

Welcome to Briefing January — the first issue of 2026!

The start of the year is a great time to time to refocus, make new and exciting plans and set the tone for the months ahead.

Granted, it’s not an entirely clean slate. Worldwide uncertainty and volatility are still here, as are many of the challenges that firms have faced over the past few years. If anything, this just reinforces the importance of having a strong strategy in place to navigate these tumultuous waters — and now, as we enter a new year, feels the perfect time to explore how to get this right.

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What’s inside?

UPFRONT

• Clyde & Co’s chief sustainability officer Paddy Linighan explains the rationale behind the firm’s new approach to carbon removal — which treats investment in this as a balance sheet asset rather than a profit-and-loss expense.  
• Briefing editor Andreea Dulgheru analyses the latest Briefing/HSBC UK data on how firm leaders’ expectations of M&A activity, and attitudes towards private equity investment have changed over the past few years.
• Damien Behan, innovation and technology director at Brodies, highlights why a culture of safe experimentation and evolution is essential for firms to reap the benefits of AI.
• Abby Ewen, chief operating officer at Browne Jacobson, outlines the importance of creativity to fully harness the power of AI — and how leaders can nurture the perfect environment for this.
• Paul Suffield, chief executive officer at Attest Group, discusses how a defined firm-wide strategy will enhance collaboration across the board, and create a solid foundation to drive sustainable growth. 

FEATURES

• In the hunt for unveiling AI’s true return on investment, one vital clue seems to have been missed out. Andreea Dulgheru reports on the insights several knowledge and innovation leaders have shared at our recent Briefing breakfast clubs on the missing piece of the puzzle.  
• Chief operating officer for EMEAPAC at Norton Rose Fulbright Rod Harrington discusses how agility and holistic thinking are powering the firm’s quest to stand out on the international stage. 
• Sharon Jenman, director of knowledge management (London) at McDermott Will & Schulte, outlines the key pillars that are core to training the next generations of lawyers in the current AI-enabled world. 
• To celebrate the start of the new year, four law firm leaders share their personal and professional New Year resolutions for 2026.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

• Aderant chief technology officer Andy Hoyt discusses firing up Aderant’s investment in R&D to catalyse AI‑driven work‑to‑cash automation.
• Elisabet Hardy, chief product officer at Elite, highlights the core causes of friction within law firms’ processes, and why the industry-wide move to cloud-based SaaS platforms is the key to unlocking harmonious and efficient workflows.
• Christopher Young, senior director at Harbor, discusses how early planning and disciplined leadership pave the way to successful integration and secure sale for ambitious transatlantic law firm mergers. 
• Stephen Brown, managing director at Lights-On Consulting, says that disciplined demand management, connected strategic decisions and cultural curation are the order of the day to secure law firms a sustainable programme of effective transformation.
• Nigel Williams, product director and interim head at LexisNexis Enterprise Solutions, says a firm’s technology strategy in 2026 needs flexible tools prepared for a range of possible futures — and practical routes for reaching them.
• Matt Haynes, global director of IT at OC&C Strategy Consultants, shares how a partnership with Modular Services and a proactive, people-centred approach is helping his team to build trust and offer exceptional support across the business.

NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT’S PLAYBOOK FOR THE GLOBAL GAME

As global legal markets evolve and more firms vie for international reach, Norton Rose Fulbright’s new firm-wide strategy aims to redefine what it means to compete on a worldwide stage. Chief operating officer for EMEAPAC Rod Harrington talks to Andreea Dulgheru about how agility and holistic thinking are powering the firm’s quest to stand out on the international stage.

THE MISSING VARIABLE IN THE FORMULA FOR MEASURING ROI

In the hunt for unveiling AI’s true return on investment, one vital clue seems to have been vitally missed out. At our recent Briefing breakfast clubs, several knowledge and innovation leaders weighed in on what the missing piece of the puzzle is. Andreea Dulgheru reports.

BALANCING LAW, HUMANITY AND TECHNOLOGY