In a competitive legal landscape, innovation is the key to prominence. Howard Kennedy, a London based law firm with an international reach, has embraced technology to enhance its clients’ experience as well as to improve the working environment for its team of 200 lawyers.
Renowned for its client-centric approach and commitment to excellence, the firm provides straightforward advice to ambitious clients ranging from entrepreneurial businesses, family offices and private individuals to multinational corporations. By combining a collaborative working culture with cutting-edge technology, Howard Kennedy has positioned itself as a modern, forward-thinking law firm that addresses the complex needs of its clients with precision and care.
Business Focus spoke to the Director of IT and Change, Tony McKenna about how technology enhances service delivery, efficiency, security, and the overall client experience. McKenna, who started his career in a very different sector – electrical engineering – entered the arena of technology in his mid-twenties and gradually progressed to managerial roles.
An IT expert with a demonstrated history of working in the law practice industry, he is now responsible for day-to-day technology services, business change, information security and technology innovation at Howard Kennedy. He is the President of ILTA, a legal technology association with over 25,000 members. He is also a Governor of a Secondary Academy with over 1,600 young minds.
For the benefit of the client
McKenna explains that the firm operates across four primary practice areas – corporate law, real estate, dispute resolution, and private client & family. “While these areas structure the firm internally, Howard Kennedy ensures that clients experience a seamless, integrated service where the right expertise is applied to their unique challenges.”
“Here, information technology plays a crucial role,” he affirms, reflecting that since 2020 Howard Kennedy has focused on significantly improving its technology infrastructure. “This shift began as the world grappled with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and over the past three years, we have focused on making a step change in our technology platform to optimise our lawyers’ time and to provide the best advice to our clients. Last year we began to really capitalise on this investment, and this positions us at the forefront in our sector.”
By eliminating passwords in favour of biometric logins and ensuring that systems are continuously updated, Howard Kennedy provides its lawyers with tools that enable them to work efficiently and securely, no matter where they are in the world.
‘Integrating products like Jylo Technologies, the operator of an artificial intelligence (AI) model agnostic platform that uses a combination of AI models and rule-based linguistic systems, assists lawyers in analysing documents, advance prompt engineering, and supporting decision-making.’
Another innovation is a virtual Howard Kennedy meeting space that allows clients and lawyers to connect in an immersive setting, simulating in-person interactions. Whether a client is based in Oman or South Carolina, Howard Kennedy’s technology ensures a consistent and efficient experience. Seamless communication platforms ensure availability through Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other channels tailored to client preferences.
“The firm is happy to invest in improving and increasing the use of technologies to the client’s greatest benefit. While the client benefits from better control of their own affairs and constant access to our colleagues, our lawyers are spared wasting precious minutes trying to access a document or trying to create a letter.”
Collaborative approach to technology implementation
“Our lawyers are equipped with cutting-edge laptops that enable seamless access to documents and collaboration tools and are equipped with advanced features and the latest software updates, ensuring uninterrupted productivity regardless of location.”
Reflecting on current challenges, McKenna acknowledges that increasing cyber threats are a serious concern, and the firm continually enhances its information security posture, working with both internal teams and trusted external partners to stay ahead of potential risks.
However, he points out that the most pressing challenge is that of the human mind-set: lawyers, often under immense pressure to prioritize client needs, may be hesitant to divert time to learning new systems. “Contrary to common belief, lawyers are not more conservative than other professions. But lawyers are busy, so trying to get them to focus on learning the value and the benefit of the technology and then to adopt that in their normal working day is a challenge.”
Recognizing this, Howard Kennedy adopts a collaborative approach to technology implementation. The firm’s technology team works hand-in-hand with lawyers to create intuitive solutions that align with their workflows. Training sessions, whether during lunch breaks or through informal conversations at the office, ensure that lawyers feel supported in adopting new tools.
AI Integration: Enhancing, Not Replacing
Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in the firm’s strategy, not as a replacement for human expertise but as an assistant to it, McKenna insists. Howard Kennedy’s approach emphasizes the synergy between human judgement and AI capabilities, ensuring that technology enhances decision-making rather than undermining the human element that defines the legal profession.
“These technologies allow our lawyers to focus on what matters most: delivering top-tier legal advice tailored to their clients’ needs. By creating intuitive use cases and embedding AI into their workflows, we ensure that technology supports – rather than disrupts – their operations.”
“Although I’m very much a firm believer that these technologies – like all technologies – assist humans in making informed decisions to achieve their desired outcome, the human element is irreplaceable, and I don’t see that changing significantly in the future.”
By combining its legal expertise with a forward-thinking approach to technology and client care, the firm is well positioned to meet the challenges of tomorrow. “Going forward, the main task is to continue to give the best service we can. And that’s where the opportunity lies to show the difference between us and other law firms – in the way we look after our clients and their data and make sure that their experience with us is the best it can be.”
