Speedy GC 2026 report

Your legal team is fast. Your structure is what's slowing you down.


Tactical overload. AI stuck in pilot. Burnout hiding in plain sight. Friction the business blames on Legal.197 in-house legal professionals told us exactly what's slowing them down — and what it's costing them.

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Is your legal team moving fast or just staying busy?

Speed in Legal is defined by how work is structured, how technology is governed, and how Legal is perceived inside the organization.Most GCs know their team is stretched. What they don't always see is which structural factors are doing the damage — and which levers actually move the needle.This is the clarity gap. And it lands squarely on the GC's desk.

What you’ll find inside:

This report gives General Counsel, Legal Ops leaders, and Deputy GCs a clear, data-backed picture of where legal speed is being lost — and what high-performing teams are doing differently.

01

The strategic vs. tactical trap
83% of GCs say their work skews more tactical than their ideal. Here's what's driving that gap — and how to close it without adding headcount

02

The AI competency gap
adoption is widespread
Maturity is not. Most teams are still in pilot mode, held back by accuracy risk and unclear governance. Here's where the real time savings live.

03

The human cost of operating at this pace

More than four in ten legal professionals have seriously considered leaving due to burnout. Psychological safety isn't a soft metric — it's your biggest retention lever.

04

Internal friction and Legal Ops maturity

36% of teams face friction with the business weekly or more. Over half have no dedicated Legal Ops function. Here's what structurally mature teams do differently.

05

What speed actually requires in 2026

Alignment between capacity and expectations, technology and governance. Between Legal and the business. Our data shows exactly where to start.

“Treat your legal function like a product. Understand your users, collect feedback, iterate often, and measure results. That mindset changes how you prioritise and how the business perceives you”
Smiling woman with wavy brown hair, wearing gold hoop earrings and a beige top, against a blue circular background.
Sarah Irwin
Founder and Community Builder, ITGC
“The biggest shift is moving from a ‘tool-first’ mindset to a ‘problem-first’ one... AI isn’t magic dust; it’s a strategic enabler that amplifies good processes and exposes weak ones.”
Smiling woman with long dark hair against a blue circular background.
Alessandra Colaci
CEO and Founder, Legal +AI
“A fancy CLM or AI system will merely automate whatever process you've got - good or bad. The real competitive advantage comes from smart process design, clear roles, and aligning legal and business teams before technology.”
Smiling woman with curly blonde hair against a blue circular background.
Lucy Bassli
Former AGC, Microsoft
“ROI starts with identifying the exact pain point you want to solve — deal velocity, risk calibration, visibility, or business enablement. Without that clarity, you're fishing in the dark, no matter how shiny your tools are.”
Smiling bald man with glasses wearing a black jacket against a bright blue background.
Akshay Verma
Chief Operating Officer, SpotDraft

Learn how to set up your legal team for success