Conveyancers who attended this year’s Conveyancing Association Annual Conference & Dinner were urged not to focus on competing with technology in the future but to build on the technological solutions in order to secure their place within the market.

That was the message from keynote speaker, Professor Richard Susskind, who offered his thoughts on the future for the legal services profession and conveyancing firms’ place within a market which was increasingly subject to technological advancement, and the potential for significant disruption.

This month’s Annual Conference and Dinner was held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in the City of London, on 7 February. Under the title, ‘Change is Coming’, the 2023 Conference covered a range of themes focused on the future of the conveyancing industry in respect of regulation, technology, process, consolidation, and much more.

Introduced by CA non-executive chair, Nicky Heathcote with panel sessions chaired by Conference chair, Eddie Goldsmith and CA director of delivery, Beth Rudolf, the Conference Agenda sought to provide delegates with information on what was coming down the track in the form of upfront information, digital services, artificial intelligence (AI), political and regulatory measures, with signposting and support on how conveyancing firms could prepare for such changes.

Delegates heard from representatives from the CLC, Legal Services Board, and SRA on regulatory developments, and from Thomas Legal, Simplify and O’Neill Patient on the likelihood of further consolidation in the industry.

There was also a presentation from Conference headline sponsors, LMS, on the most up to date transaction data and the deployment of AI though Generative Pre-Trained Transformer GPTChat.

Delegates also heard from a range of technology/information providers on what might determine the next seven years of the 2020s for conveyancers and how the process might shift as a result of the greater use of technology within conveyancing.

Heathcote said: “As we anticipated when putting the agenda together for the 2023 Conference, the day itself provided plenty of thought-provoking content, particularly in terms of technology and how it is likely to change the future of conveyancing.

“It was also important for us to provide delegates and firms with information on what is coming down the tracks, their future responsibilities, how they might react to this change, and what can be done to ensure they continue to work efficiently and profitably in the future.

“Understandably, there was a lot to take in, and what we plan to do at the CA now is build on the Conference content and work with member firms to ensure they are fully aware of these changes, how they can meet the future challenges they will bring and maximise the opportunities they offer.

“We were very pleased to have such a strong turnout for the Conference, and my thanks go to everyone who took part on the day, plus those who organised, those who sponsored, and the individual delegates who attended and gave so generously to our chosen charity partner, The Children’s Society.

“Future CA events, workshops and webinars will be taking place throughout the rest of 2023 and we hope to see as many member firms attending these as possible. The rate of change and the opportunities this presents requires constant attention and the CA is here to take firms through this process and to present them with a range of information and solutions that hopefully ensures they make the most of this.”