Contracts & Coffee Episode 10: The trending topics of Legal Tech for 2026

In this episode of Contracts & Coffee, Chris Stroud (Strategic Account Director, EMEA) and Zach Hollingsworth (Sales Director, West Coast US) reflect on the legal tech events they’ve attended across the UK and EMEA in the first quarter of 2026.

From ACC San Diego to General Counsel Forum in Dallas to Being Human in London, the conversation brings together what’s being discussed on the ground across workshops, panels and side conversations. The result is a clear picture of where in-house legal teams are today, especially around AI: moving beyond curiosity but still working through questions around governance, control and value.

What’s brewing in Episode 10?

• How sentiment around AI is shifting from caution to practical use.
• The growing divide between mature and early-stage legal tech adopters.
• Why AI governance and data control remain key concerns.
• Legal’s opportunity to move from reactive to proactive.
• How AI is helping legal demonstrate value.

Q&A highlights

Q: Are legal teams actually using AI right now or just talking about it?

A: There’sbeen a notable shift towards real usage. Conversations now revolve aroundprompting, tools and practical applications rather than just high-leveldiscussions about potential.

Q: What are the biggest concerns legal teams have about AI?

A: Security and data governance are still front of mind, especially around employees using non-approved tools. There’s also uncertainty around how data is stored, shared and potentially used to train models.

Q: Are these concerns consistent across the US and EMEA?

A: Interestingly, not entirely. US-based discussions are currently focused more on security and control, while some UK and EU events are leaning more into adoption and use cases, though governance is still a key theme, particularly with regulatory developments like the EU AI Act.

Q: How is AI changing the perception of legal within organizations?

A: AI is helping legal teams work more efficiently, and more importantly demonstrate their impact with data. That’s making it easier to challenge the idea of legal as purely a cost center.

Q: What does it mean for legal’s role going forward?

A: Legal is becoming more embedded in strategic decision-making – especially through involvement in AI initiatives, governance discussions and cross-functional collaboration.

Interested in catching Summize at upcoming events across the US and EMEA? Click below to see where we'll be next!