Lauren Colbeck joins the team directly from Peppermint Technology, where she spent three years as Head of Product Management for the legal sector. Previously, Lauren spent over a decade in product management at Experian.
In her new role, Lauren will use her detailed understanding of legal firms to work with the wider product development team to execute Access Legal’s product roadmap, designed to deliver a more cohesive experience of technology to the legal sector, as well as developing a comprehensive strategy for future innovation.
Access Legal officially launched at the start of April with a customer base of 3,500 legal practices, accounting for a third of the UK legal market. As Lauren explains, it’s an exciting time to join the company:
“It was quickly evident to me that the team at Access Legal has a clear vision and is committed to deliver best-in-class software that makes a genuine difference to its users so they can in turn deliver a better client experience and improve the profitability of their firm.
“It has to be remembered that legal firms are businesses that want to grow, offer outstanding service, look after their people and attract the very best talent just like any other company. So, while legal case and practice management solutions are vital, it’s equally as important to help them run their wider business, through people management, financial solutions, payments technology and CRM.
“The advantage of Access having multiple divisions outside of the legal sector is that I can benefit from a wider pool of resources, expertise and best practice to bring even greater insight into our legal offering and ensure we continue to offer the innovation that ambitious law firms need. And, as we evolve and move towards a single sign-on solution in the form of Access Workspace for Legal, we are in a position to bring something truly unique to firms trying to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.”
Commenting on Lauren’s appointment, Doug Sawers, Managing Director of Access Legal, said:
“Our aim is to help law firms understand how technology can unlock their limitless potential and empower legal professionals to focus on profitability and growth rather than mundane tasks. As well as delivering meaningful results now, we also need to continually think ahead and use our unique insight to anticipate the needs of firms in the months and years to come. To deliver this, we need the very best team of experts focused on continual innovation and I’m delighted to welcome someone of Lauren’s calibre to Access Legal.
“She has real insight into the industry. Not only does she understand the challenges solicitors and practice managers face every day, she knows how to solve them.
“Lauren will ensure that we continue to match our clients’ ambitions and provide scalability in our product offering. We aim to be a long-term technology partner for law firms and solutions that can grow alongside a business are key to that.”
Those already using Access Legal software solutions include renowned firms such as Eversheds, Minster Law, Winn Solicitors, Wolferstans, Neves Solicitors LLP and The MAPD Group.
To mark its launch, Access Legal has unveiled the first of its new free quarterly legal guides, Legal Unlimited. The first edition, Legal Unlimited: Unlock Your People Power, is available online now.