SCG Legal June 2026 Newsletter

June 23, 2026
scglegal

Can you believe we are already halfway through 2026? As the saying goes, time flies when you are busy — and busy we have been. We are pleased to report that referral activity across the network is up this year, a reflection of the trust and collaboration that define our membership. We continue to work closely with our member firms to deepen cross-selling and collaborative opportunities, with the shared goal of driving meaningful business to each firm in our network.

The global legal industry finds itself at an inflection point. Demand for legal services remains strong, fueled by regulatory complexity, geopolitical uncertainty, evolving trade relationships, and the accelerating pace of technological change. Yet beneath these favorable conditions, the traditional law firm model is being tested. Clients are now demanding more than exceptional legal expertise. They expect commercial insight, efficiency, transparency, and seamless cross-border collaboration. In addition, generative AI has rapidly shifted from a future possibility to a present reality, prompting firms to rethink how work is performed, how value is delivered, and how to bill for these new investments. For our members–independent law firms—these shifts present not only challenges, but significant opportunities. The ability to move quickly, stay close to clients, and draw upon trusted relationships across jurisdictions has never been more valuable. As a network, this moment reminds us of our greatest strength: our ability to learn from one another, adapt together, and help our clients navigate change with confidence.

Supporting Our Members on AI: We continue to work with our members to support their efforts around artificial intelligence. As a starting point, we are encouraging all member firms to proactively reach out to their clients to understand how AI is showing up in their businesses. Not only does this outreach demonstrate that your firm is forward-thinking, it opens the door to valuable conversations about risk, governance, and the legal issues that inevitably follow AI adoption. Here are a few questions to get the client conversation started:

  • Are you currently using any AI tools or AI-powered software in your business operations? If so, which ones?
  • Which departments or functions are using AI — HR, finance, customer service, operations, legal, marketing, etc.?
  • Are employees using AI tools on their own initiative (sometimes called “shadow AI”), or is use governed by a company policy?
  • How do you feel about your law firm using AI tools and resources on your matters?

These questions are intentionally straightforward. The goal is to listen, learn, and position your firm as a trusted advisor on an issue your clients are actively navigating.

Legora Pilot Program: We are excited to share that this week, we launched a 30-day pilot program for members interested in exploring Legora at no cost. As many of you know, Legora is an SCG Legal-vetted partner, with a number of our member firms already using the platform. Legora is an AI-powered legal workspace designed to help lawyers review documents, conduct research, and draft contracts more efficiently. It combines document analysis, legal research, and drafting tools — integrated directly into Microsoft Word — while enabling teams to collaborate and generate insights from both internal and external legal data sources. Click HERE to learn more about Legora.

Team Canada Meeting: Last week, Team Canada hosted their annual regional meeting in Winnipeg — and it was an outstanding one. It was a privilege to connect with colleagues from across Canada, sharing perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing our profession while strengthening the relationships that make our network so valuable. The program featured engaging discussions on a range of timely topics, including regional developments from across the country, collaboration and business development opportunities, AI implementation in legal practice, the evolving M&A landscape, and litigation trends impacting businesses nationwide. A highlight of the event was hearing from Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, who shared his insights on the city’s growth, economic development priorities, and efforts to address key social challenges facing the community. Another memorable experience was a private tour of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, followed by dinner in its stunning Atrium. A heartfelt thank you to our member and host firm, Taylor McCaffrey, for their exceptional organization of the meeting and generous hospitality.

COO Roundtable: SCG Legal is proud to launch an exclusive Chief Operating Officer Roundtable for our member firms. This new initiative is designed to provide law firm business leaders with a competitive edge through peer collaboration, strategic insight, and the exchange of practical solutions. With 125 independent member firms across 65 countries, SCG Legal offers a uniquely positioned platform for COOs to connect, share ideas, address common challenges, and explore opportunities to strengthen firm performance. Building on the success of our Law Firm Leaders Roundtable, this forum will foster candid, confidential, and strategic discussions on the issues that matter most to law firm operations and growth — from financial management and operational efficiency to AI implementation, talent strategy, and long-term planning. Our inaugural in-person COO Roundtable will take place on September 16, 2026 — the day before the opening of SCG Legal’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Participants will have the opportunity to attend both the Roundtable and the Annual Meeting, making it an ideal opportunity to maximize your time in D.C. Topics on the agenda will include: AI and technology adoption, growth strategies, succession planning and leadership development, crisis management, operational efficiency and process improvement, law firm financial management and profitability, and compensation models and performance metrics. We have already reached out directly to the COOs on our distribution list. However, if you are a managing partner or law firm leader planning to attend the Annual Meeting and would like to join this session as well, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at agorokhovsky@scglegal.com. There is no additional fee to attend. We look forward to building this community together.

Annual Meeting in Washington DC: Registration is now open for our 2026 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., taking place this September 17 – 18. We are expecting more than 220 participants, including three to four attorneys from nearly every U.S. state, along with strong representation from Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the Asia-Pacific region. In total, we anticipate welcoming representatives from approximately 90 firms across more than 50 countries. The agenda is currently being finalized, but the program already features an outstanding lineup of timely and thought-provoking sessions, including:

  • Bribery Works. Compliance Doesn’t. A Conversation We’re Not Supposed to Have
  • Game On: Legal Challenges Behind Global Sports and Entertainment Events
  • Litigation in Focus: Navigating Complex Disputes
  • Rewiring Global Supply Chains Through New Trade Alliances in a Fragmented World
  • Tax and Estate Planning Strategies
  • The World of Deals: Mastering M&A Across Jurisdictions
  • Non-Disclosure Agreements and Trade Secrets: Legal Tools for Risk Management
  • Corporate Counsel in Focus: Navigating Legal and Business Priorities
  • Doing Business in Latin America: Navigating Opportunity and Complexity
  • The New Math of Law Firm Revenue and Practice Management: AI, Pricing Strategy, and Fee Innovation
  • U.S. Policy, Global Reach: Navigating Government Impact Worldwide

In addition to the educational programming, we are planning several memorable experiences for attendees. On the morning of Wednesday, September 16, we will organize tours of the U.S. Capitol, offering participants a unique opportunity to experience one of Washington’s most iconic institutions. Our closing gala dinner will take place at the International Spy Museum, providing a fittingly distinctive setting to celebrate another successful year together. For additional details and updates, please click HERE to visit the meeting portal. As always, please feel free to reach out to me at agorokhovsky@scglegal.com with any questions, suggestions, or ideas on how we can continue to grow and strengthen the network for the benefit of all members.

I hope to see many of you in Washington, D.C., and wish you continued success in the second half of the year.

DON’T MISS OUT: MORE 2026 & 2027 IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES
🌐 2026 IBA Meeting Cocktail Reception | October 4 in Copenhagen
Click HERE for additional information and to register
🌐 2027 Team Asia & Pacific Rim Meeting | February 25-26 in Delhi (India) 
🌐 2027 Midyear Meeting | 13 – 14 May in London (UK) 
🌐 2027 Annual Meeting | September in New York City (dates TBD) 

MEMBER MEETUPS @ INDUSTRY EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD

SCG Legal monitors Member attendance at global events to help facilitate meetups and/or potentially sponsor networking opportunities. Below are some of the events we are tracking for 2026. If you/r firm colleagues are planning to attend these events – or would like to suggest other events be added to this list – please email Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com).

2026 Data Protection Events

2026 Bankruptcy & Insolvency Events

GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SERIES
At no cost and inclusive of full production support, SCG Legal continues to support Member firms with webcast opportunities through its Global Spin and Global Spinette series. These promote thought leadership and underpin business development and referral activities across the network as well as externally to current and prospective clients. Click HERE for the full library of episodes.

Recent episodes include:

Have an idea for an episode? Click HERE for more details. Please contact Events and Membership Manager Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com) to discuss the opportunity to record a Spin or Spinette for you/r firm.

CROSS-BORDER CONNECTIONS: NETWORK REGION, PRACTICE & AFFINITY GROUPS
Looking for year-round opportunities to proactively connect with fellow Members across the globe? Click HERE for a schedule of virtual and in-person activities for SCG Regions, Practice and Affinity Groups. (Bookmark the link as it is updated with any changes.) To be included in the invitation for a specific meeting/date, please email Events and Membership Manager Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com).

JURISDICTION GUIDES & DIRECTORIES. 
To support a greater understanding of business and legal considerations in different jurisdictions around the world, SCG produces regional- and practice-focused guides as well as offering the opportunity for individual firms to promote their expertise. NOTE: Document names are linked to the documents. 

 JURISDICTION GUIDES 

PRACTICE GROUP DIRECTORIES 

Interested in a guide for your location or practice? Please contact Events and Membership Manager Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com).

IN THE LOOP: NETWORK KNOWLEDGE & NEWS
If members of your firm are producing thought leadership (e.g., blogs, industry guides, in-person events, podcasts, webinars, etc.) please send to/add sharealerts@scglegal.com to the distribution list. We will share details through any/all appropriate online mediums (e.g., The Weekly Roundup, bi-monthly e-newsletters, LinkedIn) as well as on our Region, Practice, and Affinity group calls.

REMINDER: REFERRALS
As you know, it can take numerous interactions to build the rapport and establish the trust that enables client referrals. Once that foundation is laid, referrals become nearly seamless, and Members invest in each other’s success naturally. As Member-to-Member client referrals occur, please help SCG track them. Doing so is critical to: 

  • Offer a clear picture of membership value, especially for annual Member firm renewals and prospect Member firm invitations;
  • Ensure acknowledgement of/credit to the referring firm; and
  • Ensure the firm receiving a referral has an opportunity to profile their practice/s.

Please BCC SCG CEO Alina Gorokhovsky (agorokhovsky@scglegal.com) on any referral emails. If that’s not possible because of client confidentiality, please send her a separate email letting her know the firm you referred the client/matter to and, as able, the related practice or industry. If you have any questions/ suggestions about this request, please contact her directly. 

2026 VETTED SOLUTION PARTNERS

SCG’s Midyear and Annual meetings were sponsored in part by Network Partner:  SCG’s Annual meeting was sponsored in part by Network Partner: 
Empowering legal professionals to leverage AI, analytics, and multi-language technology across eDiscovery, forensic consulting, due diligence, privacy, managed review, and staffing projects. For more information, click HERE. 
>> SCG Legal Contact: Sha Zhu, Senior Director, Business Development > sha.zhu@transperfect.com 		 Fuel faster growth with a proven approach to business development. Win more business and deepen client relationships with INTAPP DealCloud Activator. For more information, click HERE. 
>> SCG Legal Contact: Christopher Raymond, Practice Group Leader – DealCloud > christopher.raymond@intapp.com

IN CLOSING…   

Please take full advantage of SCG’s global reach and impact as well as the benefits our network has to offer. And, as always, if you have any questions or suggestions for how to enhance the engagement experience for you, your firm, and/or our member community, please do not hesitate to reach out.  

See you soon in Washington, DC in September, if not before! 

Alina Gorokhovsky  
CEO, SCG Legal 

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