Innovation in the legal sector is not synonymous with artificial intelligence, or even with technology more broadly. But AI has visibly accelerated the pace of change, bringing a greater focus to innovation across the industry.

The FT Innovative Lawyers Awards for Europe were held last night at the Natural History Museum in London underneath a great blue whale skeleton named “Hope”. The lawyers, business professionals, leaders, general counsel and in-house legal teams present represented innovations shortlisted from more than 650 entries. Each entry was researched and assessed by the RSGI team, who conducted hundreds of interviews between April and July.

One of the most striking shifts in 2026 is the extent of change happening within in-house legal teams. General counsel are becoming agent builders, and in-house lawyers are rethinking what their roles mean as automation takes on more routine work, pushing them toward more strategic – and in some cases more technical – functions.

This year’s winners represent law firms innovating for their clients on complex disputes, deals and sustainability projects. They also showcase pro bono work and an initiative to tackle social biases within law firms. The individual awards recognise a new type of AI lawyer who has become his clients’ “AI legal partner”, and an intrapreneur who is driving AI adoption and change within the firm itself.…

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