Today’s Lesson: Treat Legal as Strategy, Not Admin One of the biggest mindset differences I see between large law firms and small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is this: Big Law treats legal as a strategic asset. Most SMEs treat legal as an admin headache. And honestly? That difference can cost a business more than just fees. It can cost you control, resilience, and sometimes the business itself. So, today’s quick takeaway: if you want to learn from Big Law, start thinking of your legal processes the way they think about theirs - as infrastructure. Legal Isn’t Just for When Things Go Wrong In SMEs, it’s all too common to hear: “We’ll call a lawyer if we get sued.” “We don’t need contracts; we know them.” “It’s just a small deal — handshake is fine.” In Big Law-advised businesses? Legal is in the room before the pitch deck is final. Before the supplier signs anything. Before recruitment policies are written. They use legal as a risk lens, a compliance shield, and a growth enabler -

Law Tech Lessons for Small and Growing Firms When people think of “Big Law,” they often imagine sprawling offices in the City, billable hours stacked like bricks, and armies of junior lawyers in tailored suits. For SMEs—especially those working with lean budgets and agile teams—it can feel like a world apart. But as someone who works closely with small businesses and keeps a sharp eye on how larger firms are using technology, I can tell you this: there’s a lot we can learn from big law firms—without copying their mistakes. This post kicks off my Law Tech series with one clear message: technology is a great leveller, and there’s never been a better time for SMEs to borrow smartly from the strategies of larger legal players. 1. Invest in Systems Early Big law firms invest heavily in infrastructure—practice management software, secure client portals, digital knowledge bases—and they do it because they understand the long-term value of operational efficiency. As an SME, you might not need