ARBI CITY insights from Future Lawyer UK conference

Last week, co-founder and lead engineer, Aimore Dutra joined leading minds from private practice, corporate legal, and litigation at the Future Lawyer UK Conference in London. Representing ARBI CITY’s perspective as a legal tech pioneer, Aimore shared key insights on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of law.

Day 1 Private Practice sessions, Dutra highlighted three critical observations:

• Strategic Innovation Balance: "I've noticed a clear pattern that the most successful firms are those that carefully evaluate whether to build or buy their tech solutions. It's not about having the most technology—it's about having the right technology for your specific challenges."
• Trust-Based Innovation: "From our experience at ARBI CITY, the key to successful AI implementation isn't just about the technology—it's about building trust between all stakeholders. This is something we've prioritised in our own development process."
• Preparing for the GenAI Wave: Training lawyers on emerging technologies is not merely beneficial—it is essential for maintaining professional responsibilities and competitiveness. Law firms are eager yet cautious, acknowledging both potential and skepticism surrounding AI. Vendors must ensure their tools are intuitive and user-friendly.

Day 2 shifted the spotlight to Corporate Legal, where the sessions underscored the growing sophistication and independence of in-house legal teams, as well as the transformative impact of AI technologies and data-driven operations.

• Smarter, Faster, Leaner: With disclosure processes becoming more complex, in-house teams are turning to GenAI to drive efficiency, increase accuracy, and reduce dependency on third-party providers. The result: faster, more cost-effective legal workflows.
• Turning Legal Data into Strategy: Legal data is fast becoming a strategic asset. From managing outside counsel to improving compliance, data analytics is helping corporate legal departments make smarter, faster decisions while mitigating risk.
• The State of In-House 2025: A deep dive into insights from over 160 in-house counsel revealed challenges around flat headcounts, rising workloads, and AI integration. Legal leaders are being called on to do more with less, and technology is a vital part of the solution.

Day 3 focused on Litigation, providing powerful insights into evolving litigation trends and dispute resolution practices:

• Several initiatives are underway to develop clear AI guidelines in the legal field. The International Bar Association's (IBA) AI task force is leading this effort, with our founder, Dmitri Evseev (ARBI CITY's founder), contributing to establishing practical frameworks for AI implementation in arbitration.
• The key question emerged: Will law firms shift from their hourly-fee business model to flat fees to embrace AI's efficiency gains? Partners acknowledged that change is inevitable, with clients increasingly pushing for and sometimes demanding AI adoption.
• While innovative technologies enhance efficiency and accessibility in litigation and arbitration, the confidential nature of arbitration creates unique challenges for AI development, particularly in accessing large training datasets. Aimore says, "The confidentiality challenges in arbitration data are something we're actively addressing at ARBI CITY. We're developing innovative approaches to use AI while maintaining strict confidentiality standards."

Reflecting on the conference experience, Dutra noted, "While our digital solutions are powerful, these face-to-face interactions remain crucial for driving meaningful innovation in legal services."

We are proud to be part of this forward-thinking community that's driving the evolution of dispute resolution. We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers and participants for sharing their invaluable knowledge and experiences. We look forward to implementing these insights as we continue to innovate our approach to dispute resolution.