PRESENTED BY
OVERVIEW
The Legal Innovation Forum returns to Toronto on June 2, 2026, bringing together leaders from law firms, legal departments, technology providers, and the broader business community for a full-day event packed with critical insights and networking opportunities.
This year’s edition of our flagship annual forum is anchored by a bold, overarching theme: The 2030 mandate: Leading transformation in the global legal and business ecosystem.
As the pace of change accelerates, the legal function stands at a critical inflection point. Advances in AI, mounting economic pressure, regulatory divergence, geopolitical volatility, and evolving client and stakeholder expectations are fundamentally reshaping how legal services are delivered—and how risk and value are managed across businesses.
This year’s forum will explore what it takes to build resilient, data-driven legal departments and firms capable of thriving through 2030 and beyond.
PURPOSE OF THE FORUM
- Examine the critical forces reshaping the global legal and business ecosystem and how these dynamics will redefine law firms and legal departments on the road to 2030
- Explore emerging business and operating models transforming legal services, and learn how firms and legal departments can adopt agile, future-ready strategies
- Share best practices from law firms, legal departments, and third-party partners on building resilience through innovation, technology, and data-driven decision-making
- Cultivate a connected community of legal and business leaders committed to exchanging insights, accelerating transformation, and driving meaningful change across the legal ecosystem
Who’s attending
300+ high-level decision-makers from legal departments, law firms and third party partners from across Canada, the US and overseas
- Legal departments:
General counsel, associate / assistant general counsel, in-house counsel, legal operations professionals
- Law firms:
Heads of innovation and knowledge management, senior partners, COOs, CIOs, chief client officers
Tables of eight are available for purchase. Located in a premium area of the conference venue, tables offer convenience, flexibility and a significant discount relative to individual tickets. For more information contact jacquie@adbinsights.com
STRUCTURE
Through a series of high-impact panels and discussions, we’ll examine how technology, data, operating models, and leadership must evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly advancing global landscape.
THEMES + AGENDA
REGISTRATION + NETWORKING BREAKFAST
WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
THE AGE OF AGENTIC AI: REDEFINING LEGAL WORK, DECISION-MAKING, AND CLIENT DELIVERY
In association with:
Autonomous, agent-based systems are moving AI beyond task support to actively shape legal workflows and decisions. This panel examines the current state of AI, and explores the potential of agentic AI to transform legal work and add value across law firms and legal departments while balancing ethical and regulatory obligations.
- Current applications: Where AI adoption stands today, what’s working, and the limitations of today’s assistive tools
- The rise of agentic AI: How autonomous systems differ from traditional AI and how they can impact legal workflow and decision making
- Client service implications: How autonomous systems are changing pricing and delivery models
- Governance + controls: Frameworks for deploying AI responsibly
BUILDING A RESILIENT LEGAL TECH STACK: SYSTEMS, DATA, AND ARCHITECTURE FOR THE FUTURE
In association with:
Legacy systems and fragmented data limit legal’s ability to scale, innovate, and adapt. Discover how organizations can implement resilient, flexible legal tech platforms that support AI, analytics, and long-term transformation.
- Platform strategy: Transitioning from disconnected solutions to integrated legal technology ecosystems
- Data readiness: The data foundations required for AI, reporting, and decision intelligence
- Risk + resilience: Balancing innovation with security and compliance
- Investment decisions: Build vs. buy trade-offs
THE LAW FIRM OF 2030: HOW SHIFTING MODELS, ECONOMICS, AND EXPECTATIONS ARE RESHAPING THE OPERATING MODEL
In association with:
Client demands, pricing pressure, talent dynamics, and technology are forcing law firms to rethink how they operate. This panel explores how the law firm business model is evolving—and what successful firms will look like by 2030.
- Economic transformation: Alternative pricing, financial pressures, and new revenue models
- Workforce evolution: The impact of AI and automation on hiring, talent retention and career paths
- Governance and structure: Rethinking partnership models and firm leadership
- Client value: Augmenting traditional legal expertise to deliver impact through outcomes and experience
THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF 2030: STRATEGIC, DATA-DRIVEN, AND EMBEDDED ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE
In association with:
Legal departments are moving from reactive risk managers to proactive strategic partners. This discussion explores how legal teams are using data, technology, and new operating models to embed legal insight across the business.
- Strategic positioning: Legal’s expanding role in enterprise decision-making
- Data and metrics: Using dashboards and analytics to demonstrate value and manage risk
- Enterprise integration: Aligning legal with finance, compliance, procurement, and operations
- Talent and resourcing: New skill sets, roles, and flexible delivery models
INTEGRATING ECOSYSTEMS: HOW LAW FIRMS, LEGAL DEPARTMENTS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE COLLABORATING TO MANAGE THE BUSINESS OF RISK
In association with:
Today’s risk landscape is complex and ever-evolving, requiring integrated management. Discover how interconnected legal ecosystems are emerging, bringing together law firms, in-house legal teams, technology companies, and alternative service providers to share expertise, integrate capabilities, and deliver stronger, more resilient outcomes.
- Collaboration models: How are law firms, legal departments and service providers working together to drive innovation?
- Redefining value: Shared accountability for outcomes and risk management
- Data and interoperability: Enabling insight through connected systems and partners
- Service delivery networks: The evolution of multi-provider operating models
FIRESIDE CHAT | INNOVATION IN ACTION: REAL WORLD CASE STUDIES
In association with:
A candid conversation with legal leaders, revealing how innovation is being applied in practice across law firms and legal departments. Our speakers will share real-world experiences, hard-earned lessons, and practical insights on turning innovation strategy into measurable results.
- The challenges driving change: Key pressures, constraints, and barriers shaping legal innovation today
- From strategy to results: Real-world examples of innovation delivering measurable impact
- Across the legal ecosystem: Bridging law firm and in-house perspectives on change and collaboration
- Turning innovation into action: Practical lessons and takeaways for integrating technology, data, and new operating models into everyday legal work
FIRESIDE CHAT | THE LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVE: SKILLS, CULTURE, AND GOVERNANCE FOR TRANSFORMATION
Technology alone does not drive transformation. Leadership is key. This fireside chat examines the skills, mindsets, and governance structures required to lead legal organizations through a sustainable transformation journey amid ongoing global disruption.
- Leadership capabilities: Skills required to lead in an AI- and data-driven environment
- Cultural transformation: Building teams that embrace innovation, agility, and learning
- Change management: Leading across generations, roles, and operating models,
- Governance frameworks: Balancing speed, experimentation, risk, and accountability
MASTERING REGULATORY COMPLEXITY & DIVERGENCE IN AN ERA OF TRADE DISRUPTION, CROSS-BORDER TARIFFS AND EVOLVING REGULATIONS
Trade fragmentation, geopolitical tension, and regulatory volatility are reshaping how organizations operate globally. Learn how legal leaders can navigate regulatory divergence while enabling strategic growth.
- Navigating regulatory complexity: Managing diverging and conflicting requirements
- Geopolitical risk: Trade, sanctions, and cross-border regulation as strategic constraints—and enablers of innovation
- Regulatory intelligence: Tools and processes for anticipating regulatory change
- Strategic advantage: Turning regulatory complexity into informed business decisions
ESG REIMAGINED: A NEW PARADIGM EMERGES
In association with:
ESG is evolving rapidly as the nature of sustainability shifts and new risks emerge. Our expert speakers will examine how ESG is being redefined—and what legal leaders must do to navigate heightened scrutiny, uncertainty, and stakeholder expectations.
- The new ESG landscape: How ESG priorities are changing amid volatility and fragmentation
- Risk and governance: How are the risk-management tools developed for climate and societal issues now ingrained in business culture?
- Regulatory divergence: Navigating inconsistent global ESG standards and reporting
- Operational integration + data: Embedding ESG and climate data into strategy decision-making, and controls
CLOSING REMARKS + NETWORKING RECEPTION
OUR PARTNERS
PRESENTED BY
GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNER
GOLD SPONSORS
SPONSORSHIP
Partner with The Legal Innovation Forum to engage senior legal leaders and innovators shaping the future of the industry.
For inquiries, contact jacquie@adbinsights.com
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