With increasing digitalization and the evolution of artificial intelligence, the legal profession is on the verge of being transformed by technology (legal tech). This handbook examines these developments and the changing legal landscape by providing perspectives from multiple interested parties, including practitioners, academics, and legal tech companies from different legal systems. Scrutinizing the real implications posed by legal tech, the book advocates for an unbiased, cautious approach for the engagement of technology in legal practice. It also carefully addresses the core question of how to balance fears of industry takeover by technology with the potential for using legal tech to expand services and create value for clients. Together, the chapters develop a framework for analyzing the costs and benefits of new technologies before they are implemented in legal practice. This interdisciplinary collection features contributions from lawyers, social scientists, institutional officials, technologists, and current developers of e-law platforms and services.

Francisco de Elizade

Francisco de Elizalde focuses on Comparative Private Law, especially Contracts and the Law of Property. He is a Visiting Professor at Koç University (Turkey) and has held Visiting Professorship positions at FGV Sao Paulo (Brazil) and the Law Schools Global League. Prof. de Elizalde was a Visiting Scholar to the University of Cambridge and has conducted research at Harvard Law School and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law (Germany). Francisco takes part of Spanish and European research projects. He practiced law at Garrigues’ Litigation and Arbitration Department during several years. He is a member of the Madrid Bar Association and of the European Law Institute.

Francisco de Elizade