After Harvey, Legora enters the battle to lead legal AI in Spain
Following the announcement of its Madrid launch in June, the company highlights the leadership of Spanish law firms in AI adoption and expects strong growth in the country
by gonzalo blázquez de sande
The race to capture Spain’s legal artificial intelligence market has gained a new contender. Just months after Harvey’s arrival, Swedish legal AI company Legora announced in June that it planned to open an office in Madrid (here the news), reinforcing the perception that Spain has become one of Europe’s leading testing grounds for legal technology adoption.
In an exclusive interview with Iberian Lawyer, Leonard Schreij, Legora’s vice president for EMEA, explains why the Spanish market is attracting major industry players and argues that Spanish law firms are “more advanced” than their counterparts in France, Italy and Germany when it comes to integrating AI tools.
Schreij says the decision to open a Madrid office reflects both business growth and the potential of Spain’s legal ecosystem. “Spain has always been one of our fastest-growing markets. It is very natural for us to open an office in Madrid, be closer to our clients, meet the growing demand for our services, and access a deeper talent pool”, he explains.
The company expects its Madrid office to open in the coming months and is already working on the appointment of a country lead who will oversee its operations in Spain, spearhead business development efforts, and drive the expansion of the local team. The company also expects to have between 30 and 40 professionals in the Spanish capital before the end of the year and plans to continue expanding its team throughout 2027. “For us, Spain is a strategic priority. It was one of our first key markets outside the Nordics and remains one of our most important focus areas”, says Schreij.
SPAIN AT THE FOREFRONT OF LEGAL AI ADOPTION
One of the aspects that has most impressed the company is the level of technological adoption demonstrated by Spanish law firms in recent years. According to Schreij, Spain is ahead of other major European jurisdictions. “If we compare it with other regions around the world, I would say Spain has been at the forefront of AI adoption”, he says.
In his view, both large firms and mid-sized practices recognised the transformative potential of these tools earlier than many other markets. “Spanish firms realised sooner than other regions the value of making these tools available across the entire organisation rather than limiting them to one or two practice areas,” he explains. He believes this approach is helping firms attract talent and better respond to client expectations. “Professionals want to work where they have access to the best technology, and clients want to work with firms that are at the forefront of innovation,” he adds.
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