LegalTechTalk Uncovered 2025 - Sahar Farooqi - E07

0:00Welcome to the Legally Speaking Podcast Legal Tech Talk Uncovered Mini Series 2025 sponsored by Clio. We're back with our red mic for a behind the scenes series all about legal innovation at Europe's largest legal tech event. So we're granted access to meet some of the greatest speakers, sponsors, brands in the whole legal tech world. We've got 300 speakers with over 70 sessions with over 4 ,000 attendees from all across the globe hitting us here over the next two days at Legal Tech Talk live in London. From AI to access to justice to smart compliance, you name it, we're covering it all. This isn't just another conversation or another conference.

0:41It's a blueprint for community and transformation. So buckle up. We're speaking with some incredible people about policy change, change makers, legal innovation and so much more. Over and out. Welcome to the Legally Speaking podcast live from Legal Tech. Yes, again.

1:00Sahar Farooqi:Name, title and organisation. Well, that has changed since the last time we spoke. I am now the CEO of Legal Entry. You absolutely are. So we are joined by the amazing Saha Faruqi. I believe this is your third time on the show from the UK to Dubai and now live at Legal Tech Talk as we walk around. Yeah, absolutely. It is. And it is an absolute pleasure as always. Now running my own business. Absolutely. As a CEO. So you do have your new business. So in one sentence, what problem are you actually trying to solve with Legal Answer? Resistance to change within law firms, principally. Specifically, what change?

1:39Sahar Farooqi:change when it comes to culture change when it comes to tech integration when it comes to growth all of the things that law firms and professional services face but struggle to implement when it comes to the crunch point for various reasons whether that's to do with other priorities or it's to do with elements of management yeah okay and then as an extension of that what's a one assumption obviously we're at the largest legal tech conference in europe you're you've also been supporting and yeah let's have a look around look at the views as well they're incredible over there you've got canary wharf you can see hsbc you can see barclays yeah you can see some awesome and then we've got the speaker lounge just down there we've got our hq where do you want to go so how this is your interview should we have a little wander around the steps down to the main We could even maybe go and get a bit of the buzz.

2:30But what's one assumption about legal tech you think most people are still getting wrong?

2:36Sahar Farooqi:That it's not for them. Okay. Or within that, that it's too expensive or prohibitive for them. The reality is that the time to invest is now. Yeah. And the fear around it, sometimes stemming from the cost, both in terms of financial and time, is one of those things that I think is a massive challenge. Yeah. OK. And I think we were talking about that in Dubai, actually, in terms of the time is still now. You can't afford to sit on your hands. No time like the present. But if people are taking my advice, then they'd already be, what is that, like six months further down the line, right? it's just one of those things that you have to be ready to make that investment in change.

3:18Sahar Farooqi:Okay, and what's your session or sessions about at Legal Tech Talk? Literally resistance to change and why law firms struggle to invest in transformation, so absolutely my wheelhouse. Yeah, absolutely, and very much what you're known for and doing some great work Okay, this year's themes are everything from law and tech, evolution and revolution, access to justice, purpose-driven law, you Name it collaboration, smart compliance. If you could just choose one of those, which of those are you most passionate about? You reeled them off pretty quickly there. Access to justice, purpose-driven law, law tech, evolution and revolution, collaboration or smart compliance.

3:56Sahar Farooqi:I think a lot of those can actually be put together under collaboration because under collaboration, there is an awful lot that has to come together. Access to justice, for example, which is obviously pivotal to anyone who's ever practiced law anywhere in the world. It's the raison d 'etre of the whole thing, right? Access to justice requires collaboration, and part of that is tech integration now, because without tech integration, things are slowing down, and it is turning the tables in terms of who actually has control over a transactional litigation, which if people collaborate on with tech, then access to justice will improve.

4:36Sahar Farooqi:Yeah, well said. I better go, because I'm on stage. just in here in a couple of minutes. There we go. So there's my panelists. I'm moderating. Look at that. Always a pleasure, Rob. I'm sure I will be on again at some point as well. Yeah. And for now, from all of us live at Legal Tech Talk, Sahar, thanks for joining us. Over and out. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you for listening to this week's episode. If you like the content here, why not check out our world-leading content and collaboration hub, the Legally Speaking Club over on Discord. Go to our website, www.legallyspeakingpodcast.com for the link to join our community there.

5:16Over and out.