At Lexpo25 in Amsterdam, it became clear that the discussion around AI in the legal sector has moved well beyond early excitement or speculation. The focus is now firmly on execution — on applying AI and other technologies to real-world business challenges in order to change how legal services are delivered. The consensus was consistent: technology alone is not the solution. Tools must be applied to actual business needs to create value in practice.
Jeroen Plink of Legaltech Hub captured this shift by reminding the audience that this is the “Blockbuster moment” for the legal industry. As with the media company that missed the shift to digital, law firms risk losing relevance if they fail to adapt to changing client expectations and technology’s growing role. Experimenting for the sake of experimentation is no longer enough; the legal sector must now focus on real use cases and the development of outcome-driven, productised services.
Practical AI: More Than Internal Efficiency
Douwe Groenevelt, founder of Viridea, gave practical advice for how law firms can begin their AI journey. His own work involves applying a range of specialised legal AI tools, rather than relying on a single platform or purpose. He also noted that adoption remains a key barrier within firms — many are still hesitant to take meaningful steps forward.
Groenevelt encouraged firms to think beyond the narrow goal of internal efficiency. AI offers possibilities not just for streamlining internal tasks, but also for rethinking how services are delivered to clients. When done thoughtfully, this approach can benefit both sides: clients receive more tailored and responsive services, while firms improve their capabilities and competitiveness.
One suggestion he offered was straightforward: invite a regular client to collaborate on a joint AI project. This allows a firm to apply AI to real business problems while also strengthening the client relationship. It creates a setting in which AI-supported legal services can be tested and refined in practice.
He also shared a thought-provoking glimpse into the potential future of the profession through the video ‘Barney – The End of Lawyers‘, a scenario that explores how technology could potentially replace certain aspects of the lawyer’s role.
Rediscovering Rule-Based Tools and the Importance of Integration
The panel discussion “Driving Legal Innovation: From Vision to AI-driven Impact” reinforced the view that no single technology — including AI — will reshape legal services alone. Senne Mennes of ClauseBase reminded the audience that document automation, rule-based systems, and similar tools remain essential, especially for tasks like efficient drafting and structured processes.
Max from Legora highlighted the importance of integration. AI tools will be most useful when they operate seamlessly alongside these other systems. AI agents, for example, could help direct lawyers to the most appropriate tool for the task at hand — recognising that not every challenge requires an AI-based solution.
Changing Lawyer Behaviour: A Challenge of Adoption
One of the most consistent themes was the difficulty of changing lawyer behaviour to encourage AI adoption. Several ideas were shared: introducing “AI innovation hours” as part of lawyer workloads, incorporating AI usage into performance evaluations, and supporting internal “AI champions” who can demonstrate practical use and guide colleagues past early hesitation. Eddie Twemlow of Burges Salmon LLP stressed the importance of these early adopters in driving wider organisational change.
Adding to this perspective, Dorien van den Berg of KPMG highlighted a fundamental ‘people problem’ in legal tech — particularly when it comes to AI. Lawyers are trained to focus on identifying risks, which makes them more attuned to the potential pitfalls of AI than to its possibilities. This mindset slows adoption and limits the potential benefits AI can offer. For law firms and in-house teams to make real progress, lawyers will need to adjust their approach — viewing themselves not only as risk managers but also as business enablers who support innovation and change, rather than primarily controlling or resisting it.”
Core Systems Remain Critical
David Baskerville of Baskerville Drummond Consulting LLP reminded the audience not to overlook the importance of core platforms such as PMS, CMS, and DMS systems. Often seen as background infrastructure, these tools can play a more strategic role if well configured and fully leveraged.
He also offered a reality check on the level of investment required for quality AI development. Even Apple, after investing an estimated $22 billion in AI, encountered limitations with Siri and eventually moved towards closer cooperation with OpenAI. Law firms should set realistic expectations for what their traditional technology vendors can deliver and recognise the need to complement their existing platforms with more advanced external AI solutions.
Conclusion: From Vision to Productisation
The message from Lexpo25 was consistent: the period of tentative experimentation with AI is over. Firms now need to focus on building concrete use cases, developing outcome-focused legal products, and integrating AI into a wider ecosystem of tools to deliver real value — both for internal operations and, more importantly, for clients.
Those who hesitate risk repeating the mistakes of industries that underestimated technological shifts. Those who act — by experimenting in partnership with clients and by productising their services — may help shape the future of legal practice in a way that is both practical and sustainable.
