How technology is changing business — with Osborne Clarke

Lawyers discuss cross-industry disruption, students ask the questions — on Wednesday 24 October

“Every company is a technology company,” said former Gartner research chief Peter Sondergaard in 2013 — and five years on this is proving to be ever more the case. For the law firms advising these companies, it’s essential to be fluent not just in business but also tech. For aspiring lawyers, this combination is a kind of new commercial awareness plus.

On Wednesday 24 October Legal Cheek is partnering with Osborne Clarke for a commercial awareness evening discussing how technology is changing the way business is done across all sectors. The session runs from 6pm until 8:30pm. Apply to attend.

The London-based international firm’s core sector specialisms are at the heart of these changes. For energy & transport think electric and driverless cars, for financial services it’s fintech, for life sciences & healthcare the focus is on artificial intelligence, for real estate chatter abounds about exciting blockchain and 3D printing possibilities, and then there’s retail, which continues to see profound online upheaval alongside disruption of logistics and delivery. And this is just to scratch the surface of the tech-driven changes pushing through society — next-gen connectivity will continue to spark new industries, products and ideas.

Lawyers from Osborne Clarke — including digital revolution lawyer Catherine Hammon and Ashley Hurst, a partner and the firm’s international sector leader for digital business — will share their experiences of working with clients across these sectors, and consider how they are altering their approaches to accommodate for the disruption that is taking place. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel.

The session commences with a panel discussion, chaired by a Legal Cheek journalist, after which there will be drinks, nibbles and networking with the lawyers on the panel, trainees and members of Osborne Clarke’s graduate recruitment team.

Apply to attend the session below. You’ll be asked to submit a CV and two questions for the panel. Please note that the details of those offered places will, subject to consent, be shared with Osborne Clarke’s graduate recruitment team.