Addleshaw Goddard, the international law firm, is recognised as one of the world’s Top 20 most innovative law firms by FT Innovative Lawyers: 20 Years, an authoritative report on the standout trends in 20 years of innovation in the legal sector.

The FT Innovative Lawyers: 20 Years Top 20 reflects the number of times a firm has appeared in the top 10 places of the overall rankings of the FT Innovative Law regional reports, since the programme was launched in 2006. In total, nearly 300 different firms have been ranked over that time.

Over the 20-year period, the FT Innovative Lawyer reports have showcased AG’s full-service approach to innovation, from new business and delivery models and ways of working to groundbreaking technology platforms and digital tools, as well as delivering large, complex, first of their kind mandates for our clients.

In addition, Addleshaw Goddard’s Head of Innovation Group, Kerry Westland, is named one of the Top 20 outstanding legal intrapreneurs of the past 20 years. This recognises the business professionals in law firms driving innovation, new business and profitability.

The FT Innovative lawyers report highlights Kerry’s milestone promotion to Partner at AG in 2019. “It showed the value to a law firm of professionals specialising in innovation. Westland started at the firm as a paralegal, eschewing a traditional legal career path to make automation and efficiency her expertise.”

Andrew Johnston, Managing partner of Addleshaw Goddard, comments: 

"Innovation is a core pillar of our AG2030 strategy and the integration between our lawyers and Innovation Group ensures we work together to break new ground and create real, lasting impact for our clients. We will continue to champion innovation in its broadest sense, from embracing emerging technologies to reimagining legal service delivery."

Kerry Westland, Partner and Head of the Innovation Group at Addleshaw Goddard, adds:

“Our inclusion in the FT Innovative Lawyers: 20 Years Top 20 highlights our long-term commitment to innovation across the board as we constantly strive to develop new ways to solve problems for our clients. We have a collective ambition at AG to drive change across the firm and work closely with colleagues and clients to push the boundaries of what legal transformation can achieve.”

Last week, AG’s Innovation Group scooped the ‘Team of the Year – Legal Transformation’ title at The Lawyer Awards 2025, for its market-leading role in transforming legal service delivery. The 80-strong multidisciplinary team combines legal expertise with technology, process design, and consulting to deliver measurable impact for clients and colleagues alike.