Attending Lexpo 2025 was a fascinating experience for all of us at Saga, especially witnessing the evolution from last year’s theoretical discussions to this year’s hands-on, practical focus. We’ve all attended this event before but not under the flag of Saga. This year Saga was attending the event in its home city Amsterdam – Schiphol on Monday June 16 and June 17.

The buzz around Generative AI (GenAI) was obvious, but the consensus was clear: while the technology is advancing rapidly, its adoption remains experimental and difficult to quantify. At Lexpo 2024, the focus was on envisioning how technology would look like and how it could be integrated into our everyday work as lawyers. While there was plenty of creative thinking and imagination a year ago, these ideas often remained theoretical and didn’t fully materialize in practice. This year, managing partners, directors, and innovation managers in attendance gained a clearer understanding of the potential and capabilities of AI and how it looks like. However, there is still uncertainty around the most effective strategies for implementing these tools and training legal teams to use them successfully.

Key Takeaways

+  Strategy over hype: The need for a top-down approach

One of the strongest messages was the importance of a strategic, top-down approach to AI implementation. It’s not enough to dabble; firms need leadership to drive adoption and ensure that AI initiatives align with broader business goals. The mantra was clear: push, push, push—without sustained momentum from the top, progress stalls.

+ Providers must deliver real value

Vendors and solution providers were challenged to develop features where AI truly excels, rather than simply layering AI onto existing products or packaging it in a different toolbox. The focus is shifting to tangible benefits and measurable outcomes.

+ Training and workflow integration: The real game changers

It became evident that the success of AI isn’t just about choosing the right platform. Well, training staff and thoughtfully integrating AI into existing workflows are even more critical. This requires a shift towards process thinking—rethinking how tasks are performed and where AI can add the most value. But also very important, create awareness in which tasks AI does not add the expected value.

+ Embracing experimentation and accepting failure

The first year of AI adoption is all about experimentation. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and failure is not only inevitable but necessary for growth. Firms are still struggling with new pricing models, and there’s a collective understanding that flexibility and patience are essential. Embracing a culture where experimentation is encouraged allows teams to learn from setbacks and iterate quickly. This mindset shift is crucial for innovation, as it helps legal professionals move beyond fear of failure and focus on continuous improvement. Ultimately, those who are willing to experiment and accept the occasional misstep are better positioned to unlock the true potential of AI in legal practice and will become market experts in the near future.

+ The evolving role of innovation managers

Innovation managers are facing new challenges. Their role is now more strategic and collaborative than ever before. Many lack the resources for a firmwide rollout, making partnerships and knowledge sharing crucial. They don’t solely make decisions between different solutions, but next to being implementers they will also become communicators, ensuring that insights are shared and support is secured across the organization.

+ Cultural change: The ultimate challenge

Perhaps the most significant struggle is cultural. Adopting AI requires patience and a real shift in mindset. While early adopters and tech enthusiasts help build momentum, it’s just as important to involve the firm’s rainmakers—the influential leaders who can drive wider acceptance. Their support is crucial for overcoming skepticism and making AI adoption a true firm-wide priority.

Final thoughts

Lexpo 2025 made it clear that the legal industry is moving from talking about AI to actually doing it. The journey is far from straightforward, but with the right strategy, training, and cultural mindset, the potential is enormous. I left the event inspired by the progress and excited to see how these lessons will shape the next year of legal innovation.

Now the market is mature enough to the point where it’s time to choose which train to board. But where is that train actually heading? Honestly, it’s still unclear. What matters most is that the train is strong and equipped to carry us toward the future that lies ahead.

What Saga is sure of now is that the prompt engineers of today are the market experts of tomorrow.

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