Our 2025 Predictions

As we step into 2025, the legal landscape is evolving faster than ever. From the rise of AI to the growing embrace of standardization, the way we draft, negotiate, and manage contracts is undergoing a seismic shift. But with change comes opportunity – and the chance to rethink how legal teams deliver value, mitigate risk, and drive efficiency.

Join us as we dive into the key predictions for 2025, exploring the trends that I believe will shape the future of legal innovation. Whether you’re leading a legal team, navigating the latest tech, or simply curious about what’s next, these insights will help you prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Let’s take a look at what’s in store for the year to come.

• Prediction: AI tools will move from buzz to business-critical, with in-house teams adopting AI not just for drafting but for proactive risk analysis and decision-making.
• Why it Matters: Lawyers will shift from reactive problem-solving to strategic enablers, with AI doing the heavy lifting.
• What you can do now: Check out the AI-powered oneNDA Playbook to see an example of AI contract review in action (for free).

• Prediction: The legal world will increasingly embrace contract standards as a way to improve efficiency, reduce friction, and enable scalable legal operations.
• Why it Matters: In an economy of speed, companies that adopt widely accepted standards like oneNDA or oneSaaS will negotiate faster and operate with fewer legal bottlenecks giving themselves a significant competitive advantage.
• What you can do now: Join the Standards Movement and help shape the future of contract standardization.

• Prediction: Legal will no longer sit on the sidelines but will be embedded into business functions through seamless tools and workflows.
• Why it Matters: The distinction between legal, compliance, and business functions will blur, with tech bridging the gap.
• What you can do now: Read this article by Legal Leadership on how to better integrate the legal function with the rest of the business rather than being kept as a completely separate department.

• Prediction: Generative AI will move beyond drafting and begin providing decision-making recommendations based on risk tolerance, jurisdictional differences, and precedent.
• Why it Matters: Legal teams will need to refine their risk frameworks and governance to use this technology responsibly.
• What you can do now: Check out this paper on Generative Artificial Intelligence and Legal Decisionmaking.

• Prediction: Legal design will take centre stage as more organizations focus on creating user-centric contracts and policies.
• Why it Matters: Clear, visual, and user-friendly contracts will enhance understanding and compliance while reducing disputes.
• What you can do now: Check out this in-depth analysis by Hilja Autto, Helena Haapio and Jouko Nuottilaof how Gen AI will impact Contract Design in particular.

• Prediction: The legal tech landscape will see even more consolidation, with fewer, more powerful players dominating the space.
• Why it Matters: Legal teams will need to choose their tech stack wisely, focusing on interoperability and scalability.
• What to do now: Sign up to Peter Duffy’s Substack and stay abreast of exciting legal tech updates and how the landscape is evolving.

• Prediction: Collaborative, open-source communities like oneNDA will grow, driving shared knowledge, co-creation, and industry-wide efficiency.
• Why it Matters: Lawyers will increasingly work together to tackle common challenges, reducing redundancy and promoting shared innovation.
• What you can do now: Join our vibrant community at Law Insider and connect with fellow legal innovators looking to lead the change in standardization and beyond.

• Prediction: Legal innovation will focus on ESG reporting and compliance tools, with automated frameworks to meet regulatory demands.
• Why it Matters: ESG will no longer be a “nice to have” but a requirement, pushing innovation in reporting and governance.
• What you can do now: Take a look at this breakdown of different reporting frameworks for ESG by Bloomberg.

• Prediction: Flexible work models, tech fluency, and interdisciplinary skillsets will define the legal professionals of the future.
• Why it Matters: Firms and in-house teams will compete for tech-savvy, business-oriented talent who can operate at the intersection of law and innovation.
• What you can do now: Check out our webinar on practical applications of AI in Contracting and stay tuned for future webinars to stay abreast of how technology is impacting our profession.

• Prediction: As legal tech adoption grows, ethical considerations will become a critical focus, with legal teams taking the lead in addressing issues like AI bias, data privacy, and algorithmic transparency.
• Why it Matters: Legal professionals will be at the forefront of ensuring technology aligns with regulatory standards and ethical principles, not only safeguarding compliance but also building trust in the tools that reshape the industry. This shift will position legal teams as both innovators and guardians in the evolving tech landscape.
• What you can do now: Check out this interesting piece on the ethical and legal responsibility for AI to understand this space in more detail.