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Small firms, big tech

05 September 2025 / Robert Taylor
Issue: 8129 / Categories: Features , Profession , Artificial intelligence , Legal services , Technology
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Access to AI risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms. Robert Taylor sets out the tools they need—& how to find them
  • SME law firms need AI tools that are simple, affordable, cloud-based, and focused on practical contract review.
  • AI should support, not replace, solicitor judgment, with built-in regulatory safeguards.

  • Legal technology has evolved rapidly over the past five years. From contract analytics and document automation to artificial intelligence (AI)-driven decision support tools, these developments have been enthusiastically adopted by large regional, national and international law firms, as well as by alternative legal service providers.

    However, as innovation has accelerated, so too has a growing disparity in access. Many small and high-street firms remain unable to engage with these tools, held back by barriers including cost, system complexity and limited internal technical resource. This technological divide is not merely inconvenient; it risks entrenching long-term disadvantage for firms already operating under economic pressure.

    Without access to affordable and efficient AI tools, smaller firms may find themselves offering slower and more expensive services, struggling to compete with tech-enabled rivals.

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    MOVERS & SHAKERS

    Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

    Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

    Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

    Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

    Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

    North west team expands with senior private client and property hires

    Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

    Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

    Firm boosts corporate team in Newcastle to support high-growth technology businesses

    NEWS

    NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

    HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

    NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
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    Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
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