LWIA Winners Large-23_616x372

Finalists: BLM; Clyde & Co; Herbert Smith Freehills; Kennedys (highly commended); Macfarlanes; Shoosmiths; Simmons & Simmons; Ward Hadaway.

Addleshaw Goddard was handed the future of legal services innovation prize (large private practice) for its comprehensive efficiency programme to transform the way it does business.

Launched in September last year in recognition of clients expecting their panel firms to be more innovative, the Intelligent Delivery (ID) project aims to improve the quality and value of its services through technology, streamlined processes and flexible resourcing, and by helping clients better organise their legal functions.

Led by chief operating officer Axel Koelsch, the ID programme allows the firm to quickly assemble multidisciplinary teams on a bespoke basis, increasing cross-selling opportunities and bolstering existing client relationships. In addition, the firm has appointed a head of innovation and legal technology to help explore and develop tech solutions that can further boost efficiencies and improve task accuracy.

A newly appointed head of legal project management is also a key pillar of the ID programme, to help with better planning and delivery. The programme is already yielding results, with income on track to be 8% ahead of budget in the first six months of the year.

One high-profile client said it was blown away by the firm's use of technology, describing it as light years ahead of the competition.