Six Years of the Fun Geeks!
Six years ago, we launched echo.legal with a simple mission: to make legal tech work for law firms and legal teams as a powerful enabler of real change. As early pioneers in legal technology, particularly in document automation, we saw firsthand what worked, what didn’t, and what it took to embed technology successfully. Our goal was to take that expertise and best practices and make it accessible to as many legal professionals as possible. And thus, echo.legal was born.
A Legacy in Document Automation and Legal Tech Consultancy
We’ve been part of legal tech from the start, back when document automation was more niche than the mainstay it is today. We’ve seen the hype cycles, the breakthroughs, and the inevitable dead ends. But through it all, we’ve stayed focused on one thing: making legal tech work. This involves guiding firms through rollouts, embedding change at every level, and optimizing technology to deliver real value tailored to each business's needs.
Making an Impact in Legal Innovation
Over the years, we’ve helped automate thousands of legal documents, from engagement letters to facility agreements. We’ve built solutions for nearly every type of legal department and practice area, ensuring firms get the most from their technology.
Will Sumners, Chief Operating Officer at echo.legal, comments:
“Document automation has gone from being a niche technology for the highest-volume work to a standard feature of a lawyer’s day. I’ve seen firms adopt solutions to meet specific client or lawyer demands, and corporate legal teams increasingly require their use by panel firms. Some firms adopt multiple solutions that enable new capabilities.”
The Journey So Far: Learning, Growing, and Adapting
Legal Tech in 2018: A Crossroads
In 2018, legal tech was evolving rapidly, but effective implementation and broad adoption were still challenging. The explosion of new solutions and vendors since 2018 reflects how much the market has changed.
Many firms struggled to get automation projects off the ground because they had the tools but lacked the internal expertise to make them work. Success depended on both technology and alignment across teams, from lawyers to support staff to leadership. We worked with teams to implement the right solutions and ensure they fit within their workflows and firm culture.
Julie Saliba, Chief Innovation Officer at echo.legal, comments:
“Getting the right people involved at the right stage of a project is imperative to its success. When stakeholders buy in early and define the scope upfront, document experts can craft content effectively; technologists can prioritise usability; and internal champions can drive adoption. This applies to all legal tech projects, whether process-driven or document-based.”
Where Are We Now? Legal Tech in 2025
The Shift Towards Integration
The legal tech landscape has shifted. Legal automation is no longer just for early adopters. It’s now a core part of Legal Operations, from contract analysis to compliance workflows. Efficiency is about more than saving time; it’s about scaling expertise, reducing risk, and delivering legal services in a way that is smarter and more accessible.
Challenges in Adoption
With these advancements come new complexities. Technology is powerful when it adds value and integrates smoothly into established workflows. With an expanding legal tech market, firms need to identify solutions that genuinely fit their needs. Success comes from applying technology strategically and balancing innovation with practicality, ensuring that automation complements human expertise.
What is Next for Legal Tech?
The Role of Legal Operations
Looking ahead, technology will continue to evolve, but the firms that thrive will be those that embed it into their operations in ways that enhance both efficiency and expertise. Legal Operations is no longer an afterthought. It’s central to how legal services are delivered. Leading legal teams are integrating tech to streamline internal work and rethink service delivery, from self-serve client portals to automated workflows that optimise matter management.
Law Firms as Product Builders
Meanwhile, law firms are shifting from pure service providers to creators of legal products. By leveraging automation and AI, firms are packaging their expertise into dynamic solutions that improve access, speed, and cost predictability. The early days of every law firm attempting to launch a technology business have passed. Now, the firms truly committed to innovation are developing excellent products, and we have helped a few get there.
The Need for Interoperability and Security
As law firms adopt more systems, the focus is shifting from adding new tools to integrating existing ones. Seamless workflows matter more than standalone technology. At the same time, data security and privacy are no longer just IT concerns - they are legal priorities. The next phase of legal tech is about delivering meaningful operational change, supporting better decision-making, improving client experiences, and making legal expertise more scalable.
A New Look, Sharper Focus
More Than a Rebrand
Our 2025 rebrand reflects deep thinking about who we are at echo.legal, who we help, and how we communicate our value. Sharper branding, bolder colours, and messaging that directly addresses the needs we hear from our clients. We’re still the same team of fun geeks who love making legal tech work in the real world - just with a clearer voice and stronger presence.
We now work with more clients and more products than ever before. From our roots in Contract Express automation, we’ve expanded to solutions like Avvoka, Doc Drafter, and process automation with HighQ. As we grow, we remain committed to delivering the quality work and insightful advice our clients rely on and to ensuring legal tech works for you, rather than dictating how you work. We approach every project with curiosity, deep expertise, and a passion for making automation practical. And most importantly, we put people first.
Because great legal tech is about more than just code and processes; it’s about the people who use it.
Thank You for Being Part of Our Story
Six years in, we’re more grateful than ever for the people who’ve trusted us to help make legal tech work for them. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or have only just found us, thank you. It has been a privilege to work alongside you.
So, explore the new website, reach out, or just say hello to our team of self-confessed fun geeks!