Government announces multi-million-pound investment into legaltech

The Ministry of Justice has announced £3 million of investment aiming to “turbocharge” the development and use of technology in the legal sector.

CodeBase and Legal Geek will receive the funding as new providers of the government-backed LawtechUK programme. CodeBase is one of the country’s largest incubators which has helped hundreds of start-ups grow and scale up. They will work with Legal Geek, which runs events and programmes in the area, to connect legal businesses and the technology sector.

Together they will showcase the UK as a leading place for legaltech innovation, raising the quality of start-ups and generating industry-level views to shape the country’s legaltech agenda.

They will also build on LawtechUK’s success and further support the work of the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce, an industry-led body which promotes the use of English law alongside digital legal innovations worldwide.

“The news is another boost to the UK’s thriving legal services market which is the second largest in the world, employing more than 300,000 people and worth around £25 billion to the economy,” said the Ministry of Justice. Justice Minister Mike Freer added:

“The UK is a world leader in delivering legal services and expertise and our ongoing investment in new technologies will make sure we are continuing to lead the way in advances and new ways of working.

CodeBase and Legal Geek bring a wealth of experience and knowledge of LawtechUK that will nurture new, cutting-edge innovation in the UK.”

Stephen Coleman, OBE, CEO of CodeBase, said:

“Together with our delivery partners Legal Geek, who are renowned for delivering top-tier legal events, we are eager to push the boundaries of innovation and transformation in the legal industry.

We truly believe that LawtechUK will have a significant impact on the future of the legal sector, and we feel privileged to be leading the charge in this endeavour.”

Beth Fellner, Legal Geek Director, said:

“We will be working in partnership with CodeBase to deliver a transformational programme of activity that will engage, inspire and educate.

Legal Geek will ensure LawtechUK develops the legal sector nationwide, equipping organisations of all sizes with the culture, expertise, and confidence to innovate.”

CodeBase and Legal Geek were awarded funding following a competition process, and will take over from Tech Nation, the firm which has delivered LawtechUK for the past three years. They will take over LawtechUK from 1st April 2023.

The LawtechUK programme will continue to be supported by the expert LawtechUK Panel.