The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has allocated £2m in government funding to Tech Nation, the government-backed network for tech entrepreneurs.
The funding will be used to support the digital transformation of the UK legal sector and create a climate to support the development and use of UK legal technology.
Tech Nation will take responsibility for delivering the aims of the funding by building on the work of the Lawtech Delivery Panel, a team of industry experts and leading figures from government and the judiciary.
Established in 2018, the Panel is industry-led and Government-backed, bringing together senior and expert voices to identify and address both barriers to and catalysts for the growth of LawTech.
Jenifer Swallow, formerly of TransferWise, Zynga and Yahoo, has been appointed by Tech Nation to lead the executive delivery function and brings leadership experience.
Her remit will include extensive engagement with the legal services and LawTech community, informing and developing the Panel’s programme.
“The transformational potential of tech is huge,” said Swallow.
“Considering the foundational nature of law and legal services for our businesses and wider society, I am delighted to have the opportunity as director of the LawTech delivery function to help accelerate the evolution of the sector through tech.”
Gerard Grech, CEO, Tech Nation, added: “English law is the most popular choice of law in the world for commercial contracts and governs about 40 per cent of all global corporate arbitrations, among other aspects. Emerging technologies are transforming the legal sector; investment in UK lawtech has tripled in the last year alone.”