Beyond The Capital

Building Trust in Legal Tech: Weightmans and the TiPS Challenge

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Episode notes


This is the second episode of a four-part mini-series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, in partnership with the TiPS Accelerator—a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.


In this episode, host Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Dr Catriona Wolfenden, Director of Product and Innovation at Weightmans, a top-40 UK law firm. She shares insights from Weightmans’ participation in the TiPS accelerator programme, focusing on how trust plays a pivotal role in the successful adoption of legal technology, especially emerging tools like generative AI.


The conversation explores how the legal innovation team at Weightmans balances enthusiasm for technology with risk awareness, pilot fatigue, and stakeholder engagement. Listeners will hear how trust varies across teams, projects, and client relationships. Plus, thinking critically before launching a pilot is more important than ever.


They discuss:


  • How to think long-term: today’s pilot affects tomorrow’s culture
  • The importance of transparent communication
  • Why trust isn’t binary—it varies by project, person, and context
  • Starting with the problem, not the technology


Chapters:


00:00 – Introduction to TiPS and Weightmans

01:20 – Role of the innovation team and post-COVID tech shift

03:26 – The GenAI explosion and the risks of hype

05:46 – Trust as the cornerstone of successful pilots

07:03 – Legal responsibility and the “black box” problem

10:36 – The academic and cross-sector value of TiPS

12:11 – Mapping stakeholder trust and pilot impact

14:31 – Avoiding the “snake oil” trap

15:49 – Is GenAI hype, or here to stay?

17:35 – ROI challenges and market saturation

19:32 – Innovation lessons for smaller firms

21:36 – Managing disruption and unintended consequences

23:11 – One key takeaway: plan more than you think you need to


Links:


Find out more about the TiPS accelerator here

Find out more about SuperTech WM here

Find out more about Weightmans here

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