RSGI Podcast Multidisciplinary Delivery w/ Kerry Westland
Oct 22, 2025
Kerry Westland, Partner and Head of the Innovation Group at Addleshaw Goddard, leads a pioneering team in legal tech innovation. She discusses the transformation of legal practices through multidisciplinary collaboration and the shift from traditional roles. Kerry emphasizes the need for lawyers to embrace translation skills and project management to thrive alongside tech specialists. She advocates for a hub-and-spoke model in innovation, addressing client demands for data-driven legal solutions while navigating constraints. Kerry also shares insights on attracting new talent to the legal sector.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
From Trainee To Innovation Partner
- Kerry joined Addleshaw Goddard intending to be a lawyer but found herself in a new paralegal-style team focused on delivery after the recession.
- That early role led her to a 15-year career building innovation, technology and process work inside the firm.
Centralised Innovation As Strategic Enabler
- Kerry now runs an 80-person centralised innovation group that spans lawyers, technologists, data scientists and delivery specialists.
- The team builds tools, publishes research and embeds innovation across firm strategy and client work.
Skills Mix Evolved Beyond Law
- The innovation team mixes qualified lawyers, graduates, data scientists, coders and client delivery specialists.
- Kerry notes graduate intake shifted from law-only to diverse technical and business backgrounds.
