Annual Survey Champions Legal Operations as Value Driver for the Enterprise
The Blickstein Group’s latest Law Department Operations (LDO) survey, sponsored by Icertis, reflects the growing influence of LDO teams across the enterprise. Based on insights from more than 80 companies on the current and future state of legal, the report conveys a fundamental evolution from LDO’s business origins and positions operations teams as forward-thinkers that are ushering in change.
LDO professionals today are on point to deploy technology and harness the power of data to drive strategic goals. When properly managed, this data can support initiatives that go well beyond areas like process improvement and spend management to impact core business performance and bolster collaboration across the business.
Key takeaways from the survey include:
1. Legal operations teams are increasingly focused on commercial outcomes.
Survey data revealed that 60 percent of legal operations professionals are “frequently” or “very frequently” engaged in cross-functional objectives, and 45 percent are involved in enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, all of which are designed to enable growth and profitability.
Nearly 40 percent of respondents say they evaluate their contract management programs based on business-oriented metrics, such as revenue generation and cost savings, rather than solely focusing on internal legal efficiencies (e.g., faster turnaround time). Other studies have shown significant leakage in contract performance, meaning this focus on post-execution management stands to deliver significant value to the business.
2. Finance departments are increasingly involved in contracting.
A third of LDOs report growing CFO involvement in contract language development—a collaboration that underscores the expanding role of LDO teams while highlighting the financial implications and importance of legal operations to enterprise growth and profitability.
3. AI is poised to accelerate value through legal data insights.
More than 90 percent of respondents believe that most legal departments will substantially utilize GenAI within the next three years, reflecting an increase from 85 percent last year. There is a significant surge in the use of AI tools for contract management, with 37 percent employing AI for pre-execution processes and 35 percent for post-execution—up from 19 percent and 9 percent, respectively. 28 percent of respondents also say they are involved in company-wide decision-making about AI.
Despite this positive trajectory, challenges remain. Nearly 40 percent of LDO professionals express discomfort with GenAI tools, mirroring last year’s levels. This steady apprehension highlights the need for ongoing education and training to ensure that LDO teams can fully leverage AI technologies while mitigating potential risks.
“AI is a powerful lever for avoiding risk, increasing efficiency, and improving performance in contracting. When integrated with data and processes across the enterprise, it becomes a bridge for critical business functions to collectively influence measurable outcomes,” said Bernadette Bulacan, Chief Evangelist, Icertis. “Blickstein Group’s data is a reminder that contracts are not just legal objects but financial assets for the entire business. That’s why CFOs are leaning into contracting, and I believe we’ll see this trend emerge even stronger in 2025 as more decision-makers grasp the unrealized value that’s right at their fingertips in contracts.”
Download the report to learn more: The Evolving Enterprise Impact of Legal Operations