HFW Names Its First Legal Tech Adoption Head

HFW appoints Ashleigh Ovland as its first Head of Legal Technology Adoption on March 5, 2026, to drive the adoption of AI across its global offices.

Global law firm HFW has created a new leadership role dedicated to embedding artificial intelligence and legal technology into its daily practice. Ashleigh Ovland, a former aviation Partner at the firm's Hong Kong office, steps into the position to lead that effort across HFW's international network.

Law firms globally are under growing pressure to show clients measurable efficiency gains from technology investments. HFW's decision to appoint a lawyer, rather than a technologist, to lead this effort signals a shift toward practice-led adoption. The firm operates across more than 20 offices worldwide and serves clients in sectors including shipping, aviation, energy, and construction.

The New Role

Ovland's remit covers the full lifecycle of technology adoption at HFW. She will identify where AI and other legal tools can improve client outcomes and strengthen relationships. She will also ensure the firm achieves a return on its legal technology investments across all its sectors.

She reports to the firm's Chief Technology Officer, John Court, and works alongside HFW's AI Committee. The role is newly created, reflecting the firm's increasing reliance on AI and legal technology to support lawyers and clients alike.

Ovland's Background

Ovland brings direct experience in legal technology from within HFW itself. As an aviation Partner in Hong Kong, she led the development of HFW's "Flight Deck" platform, a technology tool built specifically for airline industry clients. She will continue to support that client-facing role alongside her new responsibilities.

Her appointment places a practicing lawyer, rather than an external hire or a pure technologist, at the center of the firm's technology strategy. HFW cited her combination of legal knowledge and hands-on technology experience as the basis for the decision.

Giles Kavanagh, Global Senior Partner, and Jeremy Shebson, Managing Partner at HFW, said: "Technology and AI are increasingly important to how we deliver value to clients, but success depends on thoughtful, lawyer-led adoption, rather than technology for its own sake."

Scope and Strategy

HFW's broader AI and legal technology programme focuses on three areas: responsible use, strong governance, and client needs. Ovland's appointment builds directly on that programme. Her work will span both lawyers and business services teams across the firm's offices.

The firm has not disclosed the size of its legal technology budget or the number of tools currently in use across its network. However, the creation of a dedicated Head of Legal Technology Adoption role suggests the scale of investment now warrants full-time strategic oversight.

Ovland said: "This is very much a team effort, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with our lawyers to understand where AI and other legal technology can make a meaningful difference to our offering at HFW, and then making sure that these tools are embedded in a way that delivers real value to our clients and our people."

Day-to-Day Impact

Ovland's focus will not be limited to strategy. A key part of her role is ensuring that technology tools are integrated into the routine work of lawyers at HFW. That means moving beyond pilots or standalone projects and integrating AI into standard legal workflows.

HFW's emphasis on "lawyer-led adoption" suggests the firm intends to keep legal professionals in control of how and when AI is used in client work. That approach positions the firm alongside a growing number of large law firms that argue the most effective AI deployments are those shaped by the lawyers who use them daily.

About HFW

HFW is a global, sector-focused law firm with more than 20 offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. The firm specialises in sectors including shipping, aviation, commodities, construction, and energy. HFW employs hundreds of lawyers worldwide and advises clients on complex cross-border legal matters. The firm's AI and legal technology programme operates under a governance framework led by its AI Committee and CTO.