Osborne Clarke wins Legal Technology Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards

Osborne Clarke has been named Legal Technology Team of the Year at the 2026 Legal Business Awards for its work with a leading UK housebuilder, Crest Nicholson, to design and implement a data‑driven, platform‑based model for managing its panel legal work.  

The award recognises fresh approaches to creating and delivering legal products using technology and new business models. Led by Osborne Clarke Solutions, this major transformation project replaced a fragmented system and model with a single digital platform to connect the client’s legal teams with multiple business divisions and all the firms on their legal panel - delivering immediate benefits to how the client manages its legal work and suppliers.

The platform standardises instructions, approvals and reporting, digitises legal instruction notes, and automates approval workflows and escalations. It gives the client real‑time, board‑ready insight into legal spend, risk and disputes, while reducing manual effort and enabling the in‑house team to focus on strategic work.

I needed instant access to legal instructions across all divisions and 14 panel firms. Now, at the click of a button, I have instant data to hand - it has fundamentally streamlined processes.

Heather O'Sullivan, General Counsel of Crest Nicholson.

By combining our sector expertise and the capabilities of Osborne Clarke Solutions, we've built a scalable platform that genuinely changes how lawyers and legal services are instructed, governed and measured. This award is a clear example of how our outcomes and people-led approach helps clients rethink their legal operations, keeping our focus firmly on delivering the results that matter most to them – not just digitising existing processes. Huge congratulations to everyone involved

Dan Wright, Chief Innovation Officer at Osborne Clarke.