Despite making faster headway in adopting new technologies, A&O faces as big a challenge as any firm in moving to the next and most important stage, says Wim Dejonghe.
 
If you are delegating innovation to outside IT experts or to the small group of colleagues who are interested in it and want to drive it forward, you are a first-generation innovator.
 
“We have probably 150 to 200 people working on technology,” Wim says, adding that many of these early adopters have learned coding and are relying less on IT experts. 
 
“But what’s lacking is the second generation where your lawyers actually own the technology and challenge themselves to think about how they can use it to deliver service to clients,” he says. 
 
“The biggest challenge for us is how do you bring along the other 2,500 lawyers. That’s the real second generation, the tipping point. Again I don’t think we are behind the curve on that. But the firm that can deliver this first is going to be in a very strong position.” 
 
 
 
An interview with Wim Dejonghe,
Global Senior Partner, Allen & Overy