GCs are no longer just stewards of compliance , they’re being asked to lead digital transformation inside one of the most complex and risk-sensitive functions in the business.
Across industries, legal functions are under pressure to keep up with the broader digital transformation agenda. Many teams have responded by implementing a variety of individual tools - intake systems, eSignature platforms, and contract repositories - to address immediate challenges.
But without a cohesive, long-term tech strategy, these solutions can quickly lead to complexity, low adoption, and limited impact. It’s not about thinking bigger for the sake of it , it’s about ensuring technology choices are sustainable, scalable, and aligned to how legal teams work and deliver value.
Here are five common pitfalls GCs should be aware of and why taking a more strategic, long-term approach to legal tech is essential to meet today’s enterprise expectations.
Quick-fix tools rarely integrate well down the line. Each one creates a silo , fracturing data and creating more work for already stretched teams. As new tools are layered into the ecosystem, interoperability becomes more complex and costly, often requiring manual workarounds or expensive integrations.
If tools don’t fit legal’s actual workflows - or demand too much behavioural change - usage drops. Legal teams revert to email, spreadsheets, or manual processes. As a result, tech investments fail to deliver their intended impact.
Budget-friendly tools can appear attractive, but their limitations often surface quickly. As requirements evolve, teams are forced to buy additional tools or upgrade to more complex systems, creating redundancy and budget overruns.
Legal teams are not static. They grow with the business adding headcount, expanding into new geographies, or increasing service expectations. Solutions that can’t scale quickly become barriers to growth and agility.
Legal teams now have access to performance data that can influence business decisions. But when tools don’t talk to each other, the full picture is lost. Disconnected systems prevent meaningful reporting, strategic forecasting, and data-driven decision-making.