(L-R) Mishcon de Reya's Jasdeep Bansal, Conor Dashwood, Sue McNaught, Chris Stanage and Harpreet Panessar with Martin Telfer, SVP and EMEA chief, Fulcrum Global Technologies

Finalists: Addleshaw Goddard and Wolseley UK; Pennon Group; Linklaters; Reed Smith (Highly Commended); Setfords (Highly Commended); Transport for London; Ward Hadaway.

Mishcon de Reya won the Best Use of Technology award, sponsored by Fulcrum GT, in recognition of its efforts to transform its real estate practice by automating processes and embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology.

That has enabled the real estate team to work faster and more efficiently, freeing up more time to spend interacting with clients.

One key tool the firm has developed allows users to capture bulk data from the Land Registry, so if somebody was looking to buy, for example, a shopping centre with 300 separate units, instead of a paralegal downloading each set of data manually, it can all be gathered in one go in a matter of seconds. That data is then integrated with document automation tools, saving hours of manual effort.

The firm also uses AI tools to help lawyers review leases and highlight the most relevant points of a transaction, streamlining workflow. It can also push datasets directly to clients' property management software and provide visualisations of key information.

These technologies also allow the firm to reach commercial viewpoints earlier in a deal, offering a quick assessment of what buildings might cause potential legal problems rather than having to trawl through hundreds of documents. "The firm demonstrated a well integrated use of technology," commented a judge.