Insights from Our Recent CFO Roundtables

Ambition's CFO Roundtables bring together senior finance leaders from across the legal sector for open, peer-to-peer discussions on the issues shaping the profession.

Hosted by Olivia Kelly, these sessions are designed to provide a space for candid exchange, practical insights, and forward-looking perspectives on how firms can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

At our most recent roundtables, the conversations were lively and forward-looking, focusing on themes of technology, organisational design, talent development, and the evolving role of finance in law firms.

Below is a summary of some of the highlights from the discussions:

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1. AI: Early Stages, High Expectations

It was no surprise that artificial intelligence dominated the discussion. While still in the early stages, AI is already raising big questions for law firms.

• From a legal perspective, there’s caution about risk, responsibility, and client expectations.

• From a pricing perspective, firms are exploring what AI could mean for efficiency, value, and profitability.

The overall consensus is that business services functions haven’t yet felt a significant AI impact, but clients are increasingly asking about it. The coming months and years will be critical in shaping how firms invest in and deploy AI.

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2. Rethinking the CFO Role and Firm Structures

Another key thread was the evolving shape of finance leadership. CFOs are no longer just financial stewards - they’re becoming commercial strategists. Some firms are even considering a shift toward Chief Commercial Officer-style roles or creating dedicated heads of strategy.

We also explored how legal project management (LPM) and pricing functions are being restructured. In some firms, LPM is moving under pricing teams to strengthen collaboration. Meanwhile, senior pricing professionals are increasingly client-facing, stepping into deal negotiator roles once left to partners.

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3. Soft Skills as a Strategic Priority

Beyond technical expertise, firms are recognising a growing need to invest in soft skills training. Stakeholder management, business partnering, and even the simple act of picking up the phone (instead of defaulting to email or video calls) were highlighted as skills that need deliberate nurturing.

The challenge will be how to future-proof teams with the right blend of commercial acumen and interpersonal skills.

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4. Talent, Interim Specialists, and Non-Legal Hires

The conversation also turned to talent strategy. Several themes emerged:

• Non-legal talent pools: bringing in professionals from outside the sector offers fresh perspectives but requires careful integration into traditional firm structures.

• Interim specialists: given the project-heavy nature of legal work, short-term expertise can be more impactful than stretching existing teams thin.

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5. Bridging the Generational Gap

Finally, we discussed the generational divide shaping today’s workforce. Senior leaders often bring business savvy, while younger professionals bring digital fluency.

The question is how to bridge the gap - developing younger talent in commercial thinking while also helping senior professionals adapt to technology-driven change.

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Looking Ahead

The CFO role is rapidly evolving, moving from number crunching to driving strategy, pricing, talent, and innovation. As firms grapple with the twin challenges of AI adoption and organisational transformation, finance leaders will be central in shaping the law firm of the future.

Thank you to everyone who attended our events and shared your insights. We look forward to revisiting these themes at our next CFO Roundtables and seeing how these conversations continue to develop.