legal trends report
The 2025 UK Midsize Law Firm Priorities Report
What’s keeping UK law firm leaders up at night?
Discover the key challenges, priorities, and opportunities needed to make informed decisions and keep your firm ahead of the curve.
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Insights from UK law firm professionals on strategy, technology, and growth
We surveyed 60 UK law firm leaders to get a valuable window into the trends, challenges, and technology investment priorities shaping midsize law firms today, including:
- Managing partners
- Chief executive officers
- Chief operating officers
- Practice directors and managers
- Heads of other law firm support areas such as finance, risk, and people
A glimpse into the findings
Midsize law firms play a crucial role in the UK legal market, yet they are often underserved when it comes to tailored research, strategic guidance, and benchmarking tools. This report is designed to bridge the gap, providing a clear snapshot of what law firm leaders at midsize firms are prioritising as they explore new technologies, refine processes, and drive transformation to secure a competitive edge.
đź“Š Key priorities shaping UK midsize law firms in 2025
Amidst competing business priorities, leaders are most focused on employing top talent and driving client growth.Â
Read Moređź’Ľ Rethinking the client experience for service consistency
Leaders recognise the urgent need to deliver client services with greater efficiency, consistency, and impact — driving investment in a more sophisticated digital experience. Â
Read More🔍 Technology’s role in streamlining operations and driving profitability
Most firms have invested in process automation to manage and streamline workloads, yet the adoption of GenAI in legal work remains minimal.Â
Read More⚖️ Navigating compliance and regulatory shifts
Leaders are highly confident in their ability to manage risk, yet some are sounding alarm bells. Â
Read More
What law firm leaders are saying
As part of our research, we conducted in-depth interviews with law firm leaders at UK midsize firms ranging from 20 to 500 employees across diverse practice areas. These candid conversations uncovered exclusive, firsthand insights, revealing the real challenges, priorities, and strategies shaping the future of midsize law firms. Explore what they had to say and gain a deeper understanding of the forces driving change in 2025.
“There’s no business without your people and clients of course — and most firms must keep up with the pace of change in technology to some extent or they risk being left behind.”
“Technology is the answer – to service issues, to quality issues – the drumbeat is getting louder in terms of the effect on competition, and firms should not ignore or dismiss it.”
“There isn’t a one-size-fits all when it comes to law firms and technology — some areas might well be woefully lacking, but making the right decisions and investments depends on a combination of client expectation, the importance of personal touch, and work complexity.”
“Vendor security is generally robust and well thought out. The biggest risk lies with behaviours, such as failing to think.”
“People need to put themselves in the clients’ shoes. Clients aren’t typically legally qualified, so simply sending emails back and forth with updates won’t suffice.”
“If a firm wants to recruit and retain people, and with the option to upskill them in future, it can’t then give those people blunt instruments to work on — nor sell a digital transformation dream that it takes five years to deliver.”
Trust the leader in mid-market law
Midsize law firms are an underserved group in the legal market. We’re changing that.
In partnership with LPM, a specialist UK legal market publication, our expert teams of researchers and industry professionals have gathered a robust report filled with data analyses and insights on the most pressing priorities of midsize law firms across the United Kingdom.
How does your law firm compare?
This report serves as more than just an industry snapshot, it’s a benchmarking tool for law firm professionals to compare their approach to that of their peers. Whether it highlights for improvement or reinforces what your firm is already excelling at, these insights will empower you to make informed decisions with confidence. Â
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