Legal Soundings

Harbor

Legal Soundings is a conversation series from Harbor Global exploring how innovation, technology, and leadership are reshaping the legal industry. Each episode features a rotating Harbor host, an internal subject-matter expert, and an external guest who brings a frontline perspective on emerging challenges and opportunities. Together, they break down real-world trends, from AI, to change management and the future of work, in a clear, accessible, and actionable way. Subscribe for practical insights, thoughtful conversations, and a smarter view of where the legal world is heading.

Episodes

  1. FEB 11

    Top 5 Data Trends for Law Firms in 2026 | Legal Soundings EP02

    As law firms head into 2026, data has become one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—drivers of growth, differentiation, and client trust. In this episode of Legal Soundings, host Bobbi Basile is joined by Zena Applebaum and Rachel Shields Williams,  Director, Client Intelligence at Sidley Austin LLP, for a deep, practical conversation on the top five data trends shaping law firms in 2026. Together, they explore why firms continue to struggle with fragmented systems, poor data quality, and underutilized insights—and what it will actually take to turn data into a strategic asset. Rather than focusing on dashboards and reports, this conversation zeroes in on how firms can use data to strengthen client relationships, improve business development outcomes, reduce risk, and make AI investments pay off. Why fragmented relationship and experience data prevents firms from achieving a true 360-degree view of clientsHow poor data quality and incomplete records undermine trust, analytics, and AI initiativesWhat it takes to turn data into actionable revenue insights, not just static reportingWhy data governance, privacy, and AI ethics are now core business imperatives for law firmsThe critical role of change management and culture in building a data-driven firmThroughout the discussion, the guests emphasize a recurring theme: technology alone isn’t the answer. Success in 2026 will depend on aligning people, processes, and platforms—while keeping a human in the loop—to ensure data supports smarter decisions, deeper relationships, and sustainable growth. Whether you’re a law firm leader, business development professional, technologist, or legal operations executive, this episode offers a clear roadmap for navigating the data challenges—and opportunities—ahead. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe to Legal Soundings for more conversations on the future of law, technology, and innovation.

    29 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Legal Soundings is a conversation series from Harbor Global exploring how innovation, technology, and leadership are reshaping the legal industry. Each episode features a rotating Harbor host, an internal subject-matter expert, and an external guest who brings a frontline perspective on emerging challenges and opportunities. Together, they break down real-world trends, from AI, to change management and the future of work, in a clear, accessible, and actionable way. Subscribe for practical insights, thoughtful conversations, and a smarter view of where the legal world is heading.