The UK Government is sending a second international legal tech trade mission abroad with the aim of helping companies develop their business. This time the project is led by the Department for International Trade (DIT) teams at the British Embassy in Madrid and the British Embassy in Lisbon.
Last autumn the UK backed its first ever legal tech trade mission abroad, at that time to Switzerland and Austria. The new project will have a similar format and see a group of around 10 to 12 legal tech companies join Embassy staff at events in Spain and Portugal over a three-day period between 30th Sept to 2nd Oct.
It’s another example of governments getting behind the legal tech sector to help it to grow. In particular we have seen a series of projects and wider State-backed campaigns in the UK, and also Singapore, to support legal technology growth at home. This project is a bit different in that it’s aimed at helping British tech companies export abroad, rather than aimed at boosting tech adoption at home.
It also underlines the point that governments can do plenty to support legal technology – if they want to – ranging from supporting innovation by providing funding grants, holding events to bring people together, generally promoting the use of tech in the legal sector (and in Singapore’s case providing subsidies to lawyers to buy legal tech products), and in this case, helping homegrown tech companies to succeed by supporting their growth abroad.
In a statement, the co-ordinators said: ‘This is an excellent opportunity for UK legal tech companies interested in expanding their business. This Mission will offer 10-12 UK legaltechs a programme of networking opportunities and events to present their legal technologies to potential clients.’
If you want to go along you’ll have to get your skates on, as registration officially ends on Monday 3rd June – so you have about 10 days to send in your initial registration of interest. You can register here.
In terms of what you need:
- You need to be a UK-registered company, or at least have a subsidiary/registered branch in the UK.
- You need to be ready to export, so, although startups are very welcome you’ll need to be able to get your product out if you want to come along – as that’s the whole point of this trade mission.
- You don’t need to pay anything, other than for your flights. The UK’s DIT will cover hotels and entry to any events.
If you pass the selection process you’ll get to go along on what is a quite unique event – a legal tech trade mission – and get to meet a lot of potentially useful contacts in two notable European markets. It’s worth saying that law firms here have already been keen to adopt legal AI review systems, as well as other legal tech from abroad, so, it could be an interesting business opportunity.
Looks like a lot of fun – and maybe you’ll pick up a client or two. Good luck if you plan to apply.
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More Info:
Registration deadline: Monday 3 June 2019
Madrid
Finnovating and DIT are organising the ‘Law Firms of the Future’ event at the British Embassy in Madrid on Tuesday 1 October. The delegation of 10-12 innovative UK companies will present their legaltech solutions to law firms in Spain.
Lisbon
DIT is organising a similar ‘Law Firms of the Future’ event in Lisbon on Wednesday 2 October. The delegation of 10-12 innovative UK companies will present their legaltech solutions to law firms in Portugal.
Schedule:
Monday, 30 September 2019
Madrid
Arrival
20:00 Networking event in Madrid
Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Madrid
10:00 Event with Finnovating and law firms in Madrid: Law Firms of the Future
14:00 End of event in Madrid
Companies travel in the afternoon from Madrid to Lisbon
Lisbon
20:00 Networking event in Lisbon
Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Lisbon
10:00 Event with law firms in Lisbon: Law Firms of the Future
Departure in the evening