LegalWeek 2025 was a wild ride that started and ended early for me this year. My thanks to everyone who managed to find my impromptu Sunday happy hour gathering. My Mon-Wed schedule was filled, so it spilled over to Sunday and we made the most of the time. Our industry is experiencing an unprecedented rate of change, a Shakubuku moment (alternative definition). Some players seem to embrace the change and opportunities while others seem to be doubling down on traditional messaging/marketing. The conference has me believing that 2025 will favor the bold who are open to change while some of our peers will lose comfortable seats at the table.
Hot Takes:
Marketing visual overload. From the revolving doors, the foyers, escalators, elevators, bathrooms, giant digital walls and pretty much every available surface plastered with logos and one line pitches. Too be fair, it seemed like a few players were spending big on sponsor advertisement while most were content with a smaller booth and a lot of adjacent meetings. That level of marketing spend smells of desperation to me, though your take may vary.- AI Overload – Almost every booth or advertisement plastered over every surface included AI.
- “AI Washing” – best catch phrase I encountered for the vast majority of AI offerings.
- Much higher attendee proportion of women and PoC. It was fabulous to see the representation.
- “Women are the new face of legal because we get things done.” Favorite quote of the week.
- The safe space messaging was well placed and appreciated given the changing demographics.
- “Platform” used everywhere. What does it even mean now? SaaS? Multiple point products merged into a GUI? Some workflow?
- Lots and lots of new startups and rebrandings manned by familiar faces who seem to have found opportunity in the aftermath of all the market consolidation cuts.
- Investment money seems to be flowing into legal technology. Outreach from VC/PE investors. Executives asking, “Who would you buy?“
- Less giant extravaganza parties and fewer adjacent formal events. Tons of smaller Tuesday-Wednesday dinners and private gatherings.
- LegalWeek 2026 is moving from the Hilton! March 3-9 Javits Center, New York (Chelsea). I am struggling to understand the move. The reported attendance (6,000 registered pre-show) is well within the Hilton’s capacity. Maybe it is to force business development meeting back into the facility instead of the adjacent Warwick, Sheraton, etc? The loss of close restaurants, bars, hotels and more seems like it will hurt attendees on tight budgets.
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