The legal profession has undergone a rapid digital transformation driven by advancements in AI, automation, and legal software. These technologies are transforming workflows and traditional practices, making it essential for firms to adopt tools that boost productivity, reduce risks, and drive new revenue opportunities.
To stay competitive in 2025, legal professionals must embrace technology to meet client demands, improve accuracy, and operate with heightened efficiency. Lawyers Weekly’s Legal Tech Guide 2025 provides insights and strategies to help legal businesses succeed in this changing landscape.
Technology Consulting
With the rise of sophisticated cyber threats and the continued integration of AI‑driven tools, tech consultants can provide essential guidance to legal businesses, helping them manage risks, streamline processes, and harness innovative solutions to serve clients more effectively. Over the last 12 months, the legal profession has experienced groundbreaking technological developments and innovative advancements, transforming how practitioners work.
In 2025, according to Siera Data founders and directors Samantha Bowie and David Bowie, practitioners can enhance their practices, better serve clients, and help shape the future of the legal field by “thoughtfully and ethically embracing” legal technology.
Enter Siera Data, a tech consultant and data management firm that helps legal businesses mitigate challenges around data and risks and guides them towards customised solutions.
Cyber Security
“Cyber security has become a critical focus due to the rise of sophisticated cyber attacks, such as ransomware and phishing. Organisations face unprecedented vulnerabilities, and high‑profile
breaches have heightened awareness of the need for robust security measures. As reliance on
digital technologies and remote work increases, implementing stronger protocols to safeguard
sensitive data is essential,” Samantha says.
“AI has long been part of our lives, but its seamless integration into everyday use represents one of the most transformative shifts we’ve seen. This evolution has led to the development of user‑friendly tools and platforms that enhance our daily routines with remarkable ease. In the legal profession, AI offers significant advantages, including increased speed, cost efficiency, and enhanced analytical capabilities.”
David adds: “Ultimately, these advancements empower our clients to take greater ownership of their data responsibilities. By demystifying complex terminology, addressing limitations, exploring workarounds, and identifying areas for improvement, we help clients navigate and understand technology. Our goal in tech
consultancy is to guide clients towards tailored solutions that meet their unique needs, enabling us to provide meaningful consultations and support.”
These advancements’ impact on legal professionals is now driven by automation, generative AI (GenAI), and post-cyber breach analysis.
“As the protection of sensitive client data becomes ever more critical, strengthening cyber security protocols is essential. Siera Data partners with NSB Cyber to help clients navigate evolving regulations, mitigate risks, and avoid potential liabilities. Building cyber resilience hinges on the ability to continuously quantify and manage cyber risks,” the pair says.
“This requires establishing a clear cyber security strategy, along with conducting regular risk reviews and assessments to ensure ongoing effectiveness and compliance.”
Generative Artificial Intelligence
Increased advancements also reflect a broader trend of legal workplaces integrating innovative technologies into everyday practices, enhancing efficiency, security, and sustainability, and streamlining administrative tasks – something that has skyrocketed since the onset of ChatGPT and other AI tech in 2022.
“Siera Data has partnered with pioneering firm Merlin Search Technologies to offer a GenAI platform that revolutionises how we discover, analyse, and report information from vast amounts of unstructured data.
By the time this article is published, our pilot project with a leading Australian class action law firm will be
well underway,” David says.
“The underlying technology is complex; however, the insights into its functionalities and uses are easy to see. The ability to rapidly review, analyse, and report on key findings is a game changer. The real magic, however, is that users are directed to the specific sections of the original documents that generated the answers, simplifying fact‑checking and enhancing accuracy.”
Adding Value in an Era of Technological Change
As cyber crime becomes more prominent in the profession – and in Australia – leveraging cutting‑edge technology to enhance post‑cyber breach analysis and meet reporting obligations is becoming more important than ever.
“Our approach ensures that reports are not only accurate but also comprehensive, addressing both personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive information (SI) – whether corporate or personal – that may have been compromised. The key differentiators in our service are our rapid response times, precision in reporting, and the ability to minimise false positives, all while providing a cost‑effective structure for our clients,” Samantha says.
David adds: “The review and response process for post‑breach analysis differs significantly from standard litigation. We collaborate with top software companies to develop solutions that improve efficiency and reduce costs during this critical assessment phase. We are creating AI models tailored to Australian document standards, which will enhance our existing machine‑learning and human‑assisted review strategies.
“Importantly, we aim to make these AI models portable, allowing organisations that have experienced a breach to leverage insights from the assessment phase to identify other areas of sensitive information as part of their remediation strategy.”
Consultants must also stay ahead of emerging tools and trends, particularly given the rapid evolution of technology. In light of that evolution, law firms and legal departments can – and should – take proactive
steps to future‑proof their practices, keep costs down, and stay ahead of industry trends.
According to Siera Data, the first essential step is to partner with experts.
“Siera Data collaborates with clients to provide specialised insights on emerging trends and best practices tailored to their specific industries. This process includes regularly reviewing industry publications, attending conferences, and engaging in discussions with vendors to stay informed about technological advancements and market shifts. One of our key advantages when launching the firm was being able to freely explore and evaluate a wide range of new technologies, which led us to discover innovative GenAI and data privacy solutions,” Samantha says.
“To keep pace with industry trends, firms must also conduct a thorough assessment of their existing technologies and capabilities. Choosing technologies that can grow with the firm, such as cloud-based systems, allows for flexibility and scalability. By evaluating current workflows, expenditures, contract terms, and technology life cycles, firms can identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.”
Further, appointing an internal staff member to “champion” a culture of innovation and encourage experimentation with new tech is vital in the current market, as well as prioritising data protection and regulatory compliance while doing so. Looking ahead, Siera Data predicts increased advancements within GenAI, incorporating enhanced context awareness, improved decision‑making capabilities, and greater adaptability across various industries, including the legal profession.
“Remote working capabilities will likely be further improved as collaboration tools become increasingly immersive. Perhaps we will see an incorporation of VR and AR to create virtual workspaces that closely mimic physical interactions and boost team engagement.
“As cyber threats continue to evolve, we expect to see the rise of more sophisticated, AI‑driven vulnerabilities. Cyber criminals will increasingly leverage machine learning expertise to enhance their tactics and execute digital crimes more effectively. Finally, the trend towards sustainability will persist, with advancements in renewable energy technologies, carbon capture solutions, and circular economy practices becoming more mainstream,” Samantha and David say.
“In summary, the innovations of 2024 set the stage for a transformative 2025, driven by a commitment to efficiency, security, and sustainability. It is an exciting time to be alive.”
Download the full Legal Tech Guide Here.
About Siera Data
About Siera Data: Siera Data is a specialised data management firm focusing on electronic evidence management, data analysis, and electronic discovery services. We tackle our clients' most challenging data, risk, and compliance issues putting the client above all else. We approach our engagements with a philosophy of using the right technology with the right people, to ensure successful outcomes for our clients that are effective and efficient. For more information, visit www.sieradata.com.
About NSB Cyber
NSB Cyber is a specialist cyber services company with the objective of simplifying cyber and helping businesses defend themselves with confidence against the potential for cyber-attacks. Our team are highly experienced, highly capable and operate seamlessly between the business and technical landscapes, both of which are critical to cyber security success. For more information, visit www.nsbcyber.com.
About Merlin Search Technologies
Founded in 2019 by enterprise search veterans, Merlin Search Technologies combines generative AI with advanced cloud computing to transform document discovery and investigations. The company's flagship platform, DiscoveryPartner–recognized as the 2024 Innovative Legal Technology of the Year by ACEDS London–enables legal teams to analyze complex document collections efficiently while setting new standards for security and sustainability through its innovative single-tenant architecture and utility-based pricing model. Find out about Merlin tech here https://www.merlin.tech.
