Walker Clark Worldview
commentary and insights for law firm leaders
United Kingdom Watch List for 2026
UK small and midsize law firms face a 2026 that is likely to be shaped by slower domestic growth, geopolitical instability, regulatory change, and rapid technology adoption, but also by new demand for local, pragmatic legal advice.
Five developments in particular merit close attention because they will both disrupt traditional law practices and open new niches for agile community-based firms
Caribbean Watch List for 2026
Caribbean law firms face a more complex mix of economic, regulatory, and geopolitical forces in 2026 than at any time in the past decade.
Five developments deserve particular attention and, for many firms in the region, should be part of their business strategy at least for the next three years.
How can a small law firm keep up with AI?
Over the next three years, the biggest AI issues for small law firms are no longer abstract “future of law” questions, but very practical choices about tools, pricing, training, and risk. The firms that will do best will treat AI as a managed change program—iterating quickly to keep up with new capabilities, while putting simple but firm guardrails around security, ethics, and quality.
Southeast Asia Watch List for 2026
Law firms in mainland Southeast Asia and the broader ASEAN region will navigate 2026 in the shadow of intensifying great‑power competition, new trade and investment regimes, and accelerating digital and climate transitions.
Five developments stand out as especially important for firms in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar that want to move ahead of, rather than merely react to, these shifts.
Southeastern Europe Watch List for 2026
Law firms across Southeastern Europe enter 2026 facing a mix of opportunity and risk shaped by EU enlargement dynamics, regional investment flows, and shifting energy and security architectures. Five developments stand out as especially important for law firms in the region to monitor closely in 2026.
Signs and Portents
We’re just lawyers, not fortune tellers.
Actually, there is a lot that even the smallest law firm can do to anticipate future trends and developments that will affect them and their clients.
Here are five simple but reliable macroeconomic indicators that any law firm an use to anticipate future trends more accurately and be better prepared for both the expected and the unexpected in 2026 and beyond.
What will be most important to your business in 2026?
What should drive your law firm’s business plan for 2026?
Too many firms try to do too many things at once—and accomplish far less than they could if they focused on just two or three high‑impact strategic priorities.
As 2026 approaches, small and midsize law firms face an environment that demands a sharper sense of direction than ever before. Markets are shifting. Client expectations are evolving. Technology, regulation, and competition have blurred traditional boundaries of size and geography. Amid all this, clarity of purpose—expressed through a few well‑chosen strategic priorities—is not simply good management practice; it is an essential survival strategy.
Avoiding Buyer’s Remorse: Ask the right questions.
As we approach the end of another calendar year, there is an upsurge almost everywhere in the world among small law firms looking for possible merger or acquisition opportunities.
The short-term motivations and long-term objectives of these explorations vary, but there are several questions that any law firm receiving an overture from another firm or prospective lateral partner should ask first, before entering into serious negotiations.
Having solid, fact-based answers to these questions will help you to avoid wasting time and management attention, as well as possible disappointment, on overtures that look promising on the surface but lack the underlying foundations needed for success.
Are you ready for unexpected opportunities?
Sometimes the greatest risk is the risk of unexpected success.
According to recent coverage, some of the largest U.S. law firms have become less likely to contest Trump administration actions in his second term, reportedly due to new executive pressures and retributive policies targeting law firms perceived as adversaries. As a result, cases that would traditionally be absorbed by these firms are cascading down to smaller practices—many of which face limits in staff, technology, and financial resources to handle this new caseload.
Taking on a sudden, unpredictable surge in caseload can jeopardize a small firm’s service quality, staffing capacity, and client relationships.
