In this video, Griffen Hoyle, Head of Content at Crafty Counsel, sits down with Tom Evans, Legal Operations Consultant at Norton Rose Fulbright, to explore the real drivers of successful legal change and why it all starts with relationships.
Tom shares his perspective on why meaningful transformation isn’t just about tech or process. Drawing on his experience supporting in-house legal teams, he highlights how change succeeds when legal teams focus on people first, from early engagement through to long-term adoption.
He describes legal operations as a bit like being a doctor for your legal team – diagnosing the symptoms of ineffective workflows, then helping legal and business stakeholders build something better.
Tom offers a practical, people-first approach to legal change:
Change is about people not just process
Whether you’re adopting new tools or rethinking workflows, relationships are the glue that holds everything together. Trust, alignment and early conversations makes change stick.
Change is social not rational
Tom challenges the idea that good solutions sell themselves. Building trust is key for effective initial engagement. He encourages legal teams to ask: “How will this feel for the people involved?” and “What questions or fears might they have?”
Map your most valuable allies
Tom outlines three key relationship groups that in-house counsel should cultivate to drive successful change:
- Users and champions – people affected by the change, and those who can help lead it
- Executive sponsors – senior leaders who can unify messaging and reinforce accountability
- Operational allies – teams like IT and Finance, who might not be the focus, but can make or break implementation
Build trust through consistency and feedback
From one-to-ones to celebrating small wins, Tom shares how a mix of touchpoints builds momentum and buy-in. He highlights the power of acting on feedback and letting people know when their input has made a practical impact, and how this ultimately builds mutual trust.
About Crafty Counsel
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About Norton Rose Fulbright’s Legal Operations Consulting Team
We support in-house legal teams through the evaluation, planning, and implementation of operational change and market leading tools and solutions. To find out more visit: Legal operations consulting | NRF Transform | Global law firm | Norton Rose Fulbright