Here Are the Top 5 Insights to Optimize Legal Ops in 2026

December 29, 2025, 9:30 AM UTC

In-house legal operations teams saw another year of big changes as leaders sought buy-in on artificial intelligence tools in the board room and in the rank-and-file.

Some of our top Insights this year reveal how to identify and move beyond AI implementation obstacles—and explore next-level uses for AI and legal ops teams.

In-House Teams Can Bridge IT–Legal Divide to Shape Digital Needs. Many in-house legal teams lack a technology roadmap, hindering their digital transformation efforts. General counsel and legal operations professionals should improve collaboration with IT and adopt a holistic, platform-centric approach to technology solutions, FTI Technology’s Mike Ferrara wrote in November. Read More

GCs Should Use ‘SPARK’ to Rethink IP Portfolio—And Lower Costs. Medtronic’s legal team increased the value delivered by their IP portfolio using a four-part strategy: Strategic Alignment, Prioritizing Value, Advance with AI, Recognition and Knowledge Management—or SPARK. Medtronic’s Chief IP Counsel Matt Anderson and recently retired Medtronic GC Ivan Fong wrote this in November. Read More

Why Upskilling Must Lead Your GenAI Strategy and Transformation. Check out these best practices for legal ops leaders to prioritize roles for upskilling and building GenAI fluency across teams. Integreon CEO Subroto Mukerji wrote this in August. Read More

Legal Tech Often Misses the Mark by Solving the Wrong Problem. Companies must evaluate their legal technology and determine whether it’s helping legal professionals drive business outcomes, Summize CEO Tom Dunlop wrote in September. Read More

Legal Operations Is Hidden Catalyst for Faster M&A Integration. Generative AI, including areas such as review automation, typically owned by legal ops, has risen to the forefront when looking at document-intensive exercises like M&A due diligence and request response, Integreon Vice President Diane Homolak wrote in October. Read More

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.

Write for Us: Author Guidelines


To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jessie Kokrda Kamens at jkamens@bloomberglaw.com; Melanie Cohen at mcohen@bloombergindustry.com

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

Bloomberg Law provides trusted coverage of current events enhanced with legal analysis.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.