Law firms failing to keep in-house clients informed of sector developments risk losing work and in-house teams are failing to use technology to demonstrate their value to their bosses. These are among the findings of new surveys on the in-house sector.

A survey of 100 GCs in the UK and US by Passle, a content marketing platform, found 61% preferred to work with firms that demonstrated relevant subject matter expertise. Nearly half (48%) would not contract a supplier that failed to demonstrate subject matter expertise. Only 8% thought firms worked hard enough to keep the market informed with relevant, timely website content.

Identifying business opportunities was the biggest driver for industry content. Four in 10 respondents reviewed their supplier firm’s website every week. However, the results suggest GCs digest content through a variety of formats, including podcasts and webinars.

Being informed about sector news and developments was considered a reasonable or significant element of supplier responsibility by eight in 10 respondents.

Meanwhile, a survey of 223 in-house lawyers by LexisNexis suggests legal departments are so focused on leveraging technology to cope with increased workloads, they are missing out on the opportunity to use technology to demonstrate their value to the wider business through data insights and analytics.

Asked about the biggest opportunities of legal technology, at least six in 10 said it would make the legal team more productive, automate simple, repetitive tasks and simplify workflows. Only 26% saw technology as an opportunity to deliver unique insights.

‘Data insights can enable in-house teams to plan ahead, pinpoint growth opportunities, spot trends and risks, and better collaborate with other departments,’ the report says.