Lawfront has appointed a Head of Innovation and AI to accelerate the adoption of modern AI-driven technology at our regional firms and to be in a strong position ahead of a predicted sea change in how law firms operate and provide services to their clients.
With a decade of experience in innovation and a recent focus on AI, James Grice is an experienced technology transformation professional. As the previous Head of Legal Service Design at Eversheds, he led a team in designing and implementing innovative legal solutions and driving continuous process improvement to the benefit of both staff and clients.
A LexisNexis report found 95% of legal professionals believe generative AI will have a notable impact on the legal sector with Lawfront investing in this role to stay ahead and position our firms at the forefront of technical and innovation adoption.
James will support our partner firms – FJG, Nelsons, Farleys and Slater Heelis – to better understand the challenges they face in terms of working efficiencies, collaboration across the Group, and the provision of the best possible service for clients across the country.
James said:
“With the tech landscape consistently changing, my career has evolved in the last ten years from a broad focus on innovation to the specific benefits of harnessing AI.
“Many businesses are struggling to successfully adopt AI because it is forced into their processes without the proper understanding of how best to utilise it. Part of my role at Lawfront will be to support the partner firms with navigating the further use of AI and looking at how this evolving technology can continue to make the service provided and received even better.
“After building the firms Legal Service Design offering and driving a number of AI initiatives over the last two years, I was ready for a new challenge. From researching how Lawfront works to empower its market-leading regional firms and speaking to the team, I could see their passion for building a high-quality, forward-thinking national business.
“Joining a group of firms that embrace change and place its people at the heart of the business is an exciting prospect. This role allows me to do the part of the job I love most – solving problems and designing solutions using a ‘human centred’ approach. I look forward to helping drive strategic growth and digital transformation across the group.”
Axel Koelsch, Chief Operating Officer of Lawfront, said:
“We believe in technology-enabled professional services. Generative AI, digital client interfaces and enhanced workflows are essential to both productivity and a modern client experience. They shift administrative tasks away from our lawyers, creating space to focus on clients, their needs and delivering what it truly valuable to them.
“We see smaller firms struggle to remain competitive because they lack the scale to invest in modern technology. Our model supports firms with innovative legal tools with a real focus on adoption, business impact and growth.
“James is a specialist in this area and is the ideal person to head up our innovation and AI strategy, offering an understanding of how tech can make law firms work smarter. His human-centred approach to AI is refreshing, focusing on delivering solutions to real people and educating them on the benefits and risks of this technology.
“We’d like to welcome him to Lawfront and look forward to seeing the impact he makes for our partner firms, and the wider group.”
Following our eighth acquisition this spring, we have invested in our staff at a group level to enhance our offering to our partner firms. With the arrival of Ajay Solanki as Head of Digital Marketing in August, Lawfront aims to drive strategic growth and digital transformation across the group’s law firms.