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As technology continues to reshape the legal industry, the focus is shifting from simply selecting the right tools to ensuring they are adopted, understood and used effectively. For legal teams across Asia-Pacific, this means balancing rapid innovation with regulatory requirements, risk management and the realities of day-to-day legal work. 

Ahead of Legal Innovation Festival SE Asia 2026, we spoke with one of our incredible speakers, Silviana Laymen-Devins, Head of Technology (Service Delivery) Asia at Linklaters, about her upcoming panel session and the practical realities of legal technology adoption, the growing importance of digital fluency for legal professionals across Asia-Pacific, and why change management matters just as much as the tools themselves. 

Can you tell us a little about your session and what attendees can expect to take away from it? 

Attendees can expect us to share real lessons from our technology rollouts. For me, personally, a key focus is why technology adoption and change management matter just as much as choosing the right tools themselves. 

I’m really looking forward to hearing from my fellow panel speakers about their current technology priorities for the year, and how they’re balancing innovation, which is moving at a very fast pace, with risk and regulatory requirements. 

How do you see the role of legal professionals evolving across the Asia-Pacific region? 

I think the role of legal professionals is evolving to require much stronger digital fluency. We’re not expecting lawyers to become technology professionals, but they do need to be confident using the tools available to them so they can work more efficiently and continue to deliver excellent client service. 

Across the Asia-Pacific region in particular, the variety of jurisdictions and regulatory requirements means lawyers may need to work with different tools for different purposes. As a result, the role is shifting to include not just legal expertise, but the ability to adapt to new technologies and use them well. That does require investing time to learn and become comfortable with different technological tools. 

What misconception about legal innovation do you most want to challenge? 

One misconception I’d like to challenge is the idea that lawyers are resistant to change. In reality, lawyers do want to change because they can see that technology can help them do their work better. 

Like anyone, though, we don’t embrace change if we can’t see the real benefit. That’s why adoption and change management matter so much. When we roll out new technology tools, we need to think carefully about how we help lawyers understand the value of using them, not just how the tools work. 

Another misconception relates to entry-level lawyers and the use of AI. Many lawyers are now expected to use AI to complement what they do, but entry-level lawyers don’t yet have the experience to always judge whether an AI-generated response is correct. The challenge is how we continue to develop their critical thinking skills while they’re still building experience in their field. 

Join Silviana for her panel discussion “Technology & Innovation Leaders: 2025 Strategic Outlook” at Legal Innovation Festival SE Asia 2026, taking place 12-13 March 2026 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. 

SUPERSAVER tickets available - purchase now.