Paula Forbes is Managing Director at Elevate in London, having built her career in people, resourcing and professional services before moving into the legal sector. She entered legal during the early evolution of alternative legal service providers (ALSPs), helping shape what was then a new and often misunderstood model for legal talent and flexible resourcing. Throughout the session, Forbes demonstrated a strong commitment to modernising legal services by combining legal expertise with technology, data and operational capabilities, with a particular focus on helping clients build more adaptable, high-performing legal teams.
Overview
Forbes explored how the ALSP market has evolved from specialist providers offering discrete services into organisations delivering integrated legal, technology and operational solutions. While ALSPs were once viewed primarily as a lower-cost alternative to traditional legal services, she argued that their real value now lies in providing multidisciplinary teams capable of responding quickly to increasingly complex legal and business challenges. Rather than simply supplying lawyers, leading ALSPs bring together legal professionals, technologists, project managers, process specialists and data experts within a single delivery model.
A significant part of the discussion focused on artificial intelligence and its impact on legal work. Forbes challenged the perception that AI will reduce demand for lawyers, explaining instead that automation is removing repetitive tasks while creating opportunities for lawyers to contribute more strategically. As routine work becomes automated, legal professionals have greater capacity to understand the wider business, strengthen stakeholder relationships and provide higher-value commercial judgement. She also highlighted that AI proficiency is rapidly becoming a baseline expectation, although organisations increasingly value technology fluency, adaptability and the ability to interpret data over expertise in any single platform.
The conversation also examined the changing relationship between ALSPs and law firms. Rather than competing directly, many firms are now partnering with ALSPs to access specialist talent and technology capabilities. Forbes suggested that mid-market firms face the greatest pressure as consolidation accelerates across both the legal and legal technology sectors. Looking ahead, she expects continued market consolidation alongside growing demand for professionals who can combine legal judgement with technology, operational excellence and client-focused problem solving.
Key Takeaways
- The competitive advantage of modern ALSPs is no longer lower-cost legal resources, but the ability to deliver multidisciplinary teams combining legal, technology, data and operational expertise.
- AI is changing the nature of legal work rather than replacing lawyers, creating more opportunities for strategic advice, commercial engagement and higher-value legal judgement.
- Legal professionals should develop AI fluency, data interpretation skills and an adaptable mindset, as these are becoming core expectations across the industry.
- Clients increasingly value integrated delivery models where experienced multidisciplinary teams can scale quickly and begin adding value immediately.
- Collaboration between law firms and ALSPs is increasing, with technology partnerships and specialist resourcing becoming more common than direct competition.
- Continued consolidation across ALSPs, legal technology providers and the mid-market law firm sector is likely over the next five years as organisations seek greater scale, capability and efficiency.
