As 2024 comes to a close, it's remarkable to reflect on the seismic shifts and opportunities that have impacted the legal industry this year. At Johnson Hana, we’ve been at the forefront of these changes, partnering with our clients to navigate an increasingly complex and dynamic landscape.
When we set out to build Johnson Hana, our mission was simple but ambitious: to make the lives of lawyers and legal leaders better and happier by pioneering a new legal services category. Over time, this mission has evolved into a movement—one that is reshaping how legal teams operate, think, and thrive in an ever-changing landscape. This year, that movement gained momentum in ways I could have only imagined.
When we started the business in 2017 – we were two people working from a coffee shop in North County Dublin. During the year, our team grew to over 300 people with our projects being delivered in 14 different countries. Today, we have a talent community of nearly 1000 legal professionals and 45% of our business takes place outside of Ireland in countries like the UK, US, Australia and Germany. We are working with the world’s leading brands like Airbnb, Kelloggs and LinkedIn and the most forward-thinking legal leaders in business. It’s been an incredible journey – and we are just getting started!
We believe our success is routed in 3 main truths –
We provide a transformational solution for legal teams. We are freeing teams of legal process work that can drain teams of time and energy allowing them instead to focus on strategic business priorities. This benefits the business and the team by preventing departments from being overstretched with legal process work during busy periods. It also fosters greater fulfilment within legal teams allowing them to tackle the really key legal and compliance issues for the business.
The legal and privacy process work we do sits in the mid-high complexity zone - an area often underserved by our competitors who typically focus on low-complexity process tasks. Our clients want a dedicated outsourced partner who deeply understands how their legal, privacy and compliance functions can best function. This means they trust us to design these tailored processes and systems and ultimately implement an outsourced solution that delivers business outcomes, such as, increased revenue and speed to revenue, robust risk management systems and enhanced customer experiences.
We work smart. Our talent community of legal experts are backed with legal technology and project and operational managers to ensure that our clients are being served efficiently and therefore we are as cost effective for your business as possible. We operate as partners – an extension of your inhouse team. We really get to know your business and understand your pain points and solve these alongside you.
At Johnson Hana, we always have our finger on the pulse. We need to if we want to ensure we can deliver business outcomes and innovation for our clients.
In 2024, we’ve witnessed unprecedented transformation, fueled by the need for agility, efficiency, and strategic value. Here, I’d like to share some of the most impactful trends we’ve seen this year and how they’ve guided our mission to redefine legal services.
The Rise of Generative AI and Tech-Enabled Legal Solutions
2024 was the year when generative AI went from theoretical to practical, particularly in eDiscovery and Contract Lifecycle Management. Tools leveraging AI-assisted review and TAR (Technology-Assisted Review) have enhanced speed and accuracy in areas like document review and contract drafting and negotiation, allowing legal teams to manage growing data volumes with greater confidence.
At Johnson Hana, we’ve embraced these technologies, integrating them into our solutions to streamline processes for our clients. By pairing cutting-edge tools with our legal expertise, we’ve empowered legal leaders to focus on high-value strategic work while we manage the heavy lifting.
Right-Sourcing as a Strategic Imperative
Legal teams continued to face mounting pressure to "do more with less" in 2024. Right-Sourcing emerged as a critical solution, with in-house teams rethinking how they allocate resources. Whether through Contracts as a Service (CaaS), DPO as a Service or bespoke support models, ALSPs are becoming key partners in delivering scalable, flexible solutions.
Our clients have found that by relieving their teams of legal process work to trusted providers, they can focus on business-critical priorities while improving efficiency and cost management. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about transforming how legal teams operate.
Collaboration Between ALSPs and Law Firms
A growing trend we’ve observed is greater collaboration between ALSPs and law firms here in Ireland. This shift follows global trends and marks a recognition of the unique value each brings to the table—law firms for their deep legal advisory expertise and ALSPs for their operational excellence and technology-driven solutions.
Mid-sized and specialised firms, in particular, have benefited from our support, allowing them to scale their operations, compete with larger counterparts, and deliver exceptional results for their clients.
What’s Next?
As we look ahead to 2025, one thing is clear: innovation will continue to drive transformation in the legal industry.
At Johnson Hana, we remain committed to staying ahead of the curve, leveraging technology and expertise to create value for our clients.
Our mission to make lives of lawyers and legal leaders better and happier will remain our guiding star. We believe in a future where legal teams are free to focus on what matters most—strategy, creativity, and delivering meaningful impact.
To our clients, partners, and team: thank you for your trust and collaboration this year. Together, we’re not just navigating change; we’re shaping the future of legal services.
Enjoy the well-deserved break over the Christmas period and we look forward to a prosperous 2025!