This week marks a major milestone for us at LegalEx, as we officially unveil the agenda for our newly reshaped two-city conference: LegalEx Manchester (in partnership with the Manchester Law Society)on 5 February 2026 and LegalEx London on 25 February 2026.
When we made the decision to transform LegalEx into two regionally focused conferences, our aim was simple: to meet legal professionals where they are, address the challenges shaping their day-to-day reality, and offer content that is both practical and forward thinking. The profession is evolving faster than ever, driven by AI, shifting client expectations, regulatory pressure, and new operational demands, and our 2026 programme reflects this unprecedented moment.
A Shared Keynote Across Two Cities: Darryl Cooke
We are excited to announce our Keynote speaker and the leading voice for innovation in legal services, Darryl Cooke, Author, Podcaster, Founder and Executive Chairman at Gunnercooke.
Darryl’s keynote will explore what it truly means to innovate not as a buzzword, but as a cultural and strategic imperative. With a career spanning private practice leadership, entrepreneurial ventures, philanthropy and thought leadership, his perspective is both unique and deeply relevant to where the profession is heading.
Agenda Highlights
The agenda for both cities is built around seven core themes that define the future of law: AI & Tech, Innovations, Ethics, Legal Teams, Data, Financing & Investments, and Sustainability. Each theme has been carefully designed to provide practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and tools that delegates can apply immediately within their organisations.
Manchester
Built side by side with our headline parter, the Manchester Law Society, the Manchester agenda brings together leading experts at the intersection of law, technology, governance, and AI adoption. Designed for legal professionals the upcoming sessions will offer a practical, forward-looking exploration of how technology is reshaping the modern legal landscape. Our session - Future-Ready Law: How Technology Is Transforming Legal Teams – will explore how AI-powered workflows, and data-driven decision making is changing the game for legal teams. Additionally, attendees will gain the strategic insight, and compliance know-how during our panel - The Role of Policy, Governance, and Legal Professionals in Overseeing AI Development – a must attend for teams navigating the vast AI options and security challenges.
Gain insights from thought leaders including Stuart Whittle, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Weightmans, Juliet Oliver, Founder and Managing Director at Passmore & Oliver Partners, Dr Heather Anson, Director at Anson Evaluate, Derek Southall, Founder and CEO at Hyperscale Group, Noah Milton, Director of AI at Fletchers Group, and many more!
Manchester will also feature an all-women panel chaired by the host of the globally ranked podcast More Than a Lawyer and #1 legal tech creator on LinkedIn, Holly Cope. The panel, The Legal Function as a Strategic Driver of Enterprise Transformation, will explore how legal teams can step beyond traditional advisory roles to drive innovation, influence operations, and deliver meaningful enterprise-wide impact. Holly will be joined by; Laura Wharton, Employment Partner at JMW Solicitors, Eimear McCann, Commercial Director at TrialView, and Hannah Strawbridge, Executive Director at Inspire Legal Group. You won’t want to miss it!
London
Later in February at our London edition, we have a jam-packed agenda for you bringing legal tech to the forefront with engaging Keynotes from not only Darryl Cooke, but also Adam Woodhall, CEO & Founder at GCS Forum and Peter Wright, Managing Director at Digital Law. Adam will be speaking on AI leadership from a General Counsel (GC) perspective and assessing what the future looks like for GCs in this area. Whilst Peter will be taking you through the importance and practicalities of cybersecurity and data ethics, so you can rest assured you’re working safely.
AI will continue to take centre stage with our dynamic panel - Deploying AI: Policy, Progress and Pitfalls. Chaired by seasoned change-maker Jacqui Woodall, Owner/ Director at Jacqui Woodall Consulting, who will lead a discussion around AI rollout strategies, ensuring strong safeguards are in place and the challenges that can arise. She will be joined by Aminata Ba, Head of Legal at Menzies Aviation, Luke Taylor, Senior Enterprise Account Executive (AI Specialist) at Thomson Reuters, Bryan Clark, Senior Lecturer/Head of Department at University of Lancaster, Anton Carniaux, Pragmatic AI Explorer formally at Microsoft, and Sofia David, Senior Counsel - Innovation at DS Smith.
Alongside the tech sessions, the London edition will also look at how the legal function has evolved in recent years into vital stakeholders playing an active role in business development. Our panel - The Legal Function as a Strategic Driver of Enterprise Transformation – will bring real-life experience to this topic with panelists; Omiyinka Doris, Advisor to the CEO at Veon, Lisa Ardley-Price, Managing Legal Counsel at Natwest, Stefan Halter, Regional General Counsel EMEA at ABB and Neil Willson, Director of Legal at Cambridge University.
But don’t fret it won’t be a full day of AI related content! Manchester will also host a session by Martin Mellor, Fractional Finance Director & Trainer at Mellor Financial Management on implementing long-term financial strategies. Whilst in London Claire Jacques, Lawyer and Psychotherapist and Satpal Kaur-Thompson, HR professional and Psychotherapist from Lawsight who will be presenting a new look at the importance of wellbeing in the legal space.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Join the industry at LegalEx Manchester and London, and leave equipped to adapt quickly, lead with confidence, and build a practice prepared for the next era of law.
We cannot wait to welcome you, get your ticket today!