Key Strategic Priorities

• Overview

• US: Technological Transformation

• UK: A Balancing Act

Key Strategic Priorities

The surveyed senior IHC identified a largely consistent set of strategic imperatives for the next 18 months, albeit with different levels of emphasis and distinction. The data reveals a profession focused on transformation, resilience and reputation — with technology, talent, and client experience emerging as shared priorities across both markets.

While innovation and workforce development dominate the agenda, there are notable regional differences in how IHC rank compliance, ESG and profitability. There was also a much clearer prioritisation of challenges in the US. These findings offer a window into how in-house legal leaders are calibrating their strategies in response to internal pressures and external change.

United States: Pursuing Technological Transformation

US-based IHC are leaning into transformation. The top priority — cited by 41% of respondents — is technology and innovation, implying a strong appetite for digital tools, process automation and AI adoption. This is followed by employee development and retention (32%), underscoring the challenge of building resilient legal teams amid talent shortages and shifting workforce expectations.

Cost optimisation and profitability (26%) are concerns seemingly framed within a broader push for operational efficiency and strategic enablement. Lower down the list came client satisfaction/experience (17%), marketing and business development (17%), and cybersecurity and data protection (15%).

Interpretation

The technological innovation emphasis suggests that US IHC are positioning themselves as change agents — focused on modernising legal operations, retaining talent and demonstrating commercial value. This tight focus points to a market with sharp priorities — and pressure to deliver.

Talent and cost optimisation priorities reflect internal pressures to build resilient teams and justify spend. Lower-ranked factors like client satisfaction and cybersecurity suggest that while reputational concerns matter, they’re secondary to performance and efficiency.

Fig 1. Over the next 18 months, what are the most critical areas of focus for the success of your organisation?

United Kingdom: A Balancing Act

UK-based IHC appear to be managing a broader and more evenly distributed set of strategic priorities. Unlike their US counterparts, who show a clear tilt toward innovation and talent, UK respondents gave innovation and technology and client satisfaction and experience equal top billing at 37%,.

Talent concerns come in a close second with one in three citing employee development and retention (33%) as a major focus area for success in the next 18 months.

Again, this was tied with another factor: compliance and risk management (33%). This suggests an environment where IHC are not just focused on transformation or resilience — but actively trying to balance both, simultaneously.

Not far behind, cost optimisation and profitability (30%) remain a significant concern, particularly in sectors facing budgetary pressure or regulatory complexity. Notably, sustainability and ESG initiatives (20%) rank higher in the UK than in the US. This likely reflects regulatory expectations and reputational scrutiny, as well as the broader political context influencing such initiatives in the US.

In common with the US, marketing and business development seems a lower-level concern from the IHC point of view, in line with geographic expansion at 17%.

UK-based IHC appear to be managing a broader and more evenly distributed set of strategic priorities [than their US counterparts].

Interpretation

UK IHC are navigating a multidimensional challenge. Rather than prioritising one or two dominant themes, they’re juggling innovation, compliance, client experience and workforce development in parallel. This points to both market complexity and heightened stakeholder expectations. This breadth of focus may signal a more reactive approach, but it could also reflect a deepening and broadening of IHC remit.