Setfords’ Group CIO and CISO, Gervais Carlton-Blake, has been named Change Management Leader at the Law.com LegalGeek Leaders in Tech Law Awards 2026, recognising his contribution to a major transformation of the firm’s technology capabilities.
Gervais has played an important role in the ambitious technology developments taking place at Setfords, the UK’s largest platform law firm, as the business has moved from relying on third-party software to developing its own technology, infrastructure and data capabilities.
At the heart of this transformation is Halo, Setfords’ new legal intelligence platform, which brings together case, accounts and practice management in a single system designed around the needs of its more than 650 consultant lawyers.
Earlier this year, Setfords moved more than 1,000 people onto Halo in a single weekend, migrating millions of historical documents and transferring every consultant lawyer and back-office team onto the new platform without running the old and new systems in parallel.
Delivering a change of this scale involved more than just building new software. Setfords has transformed its technology infrastructure, strengthened its cyber security and data capabilities, and grown its in-house technology team from eight to more than 30 specialists.
The team now forms part of Setfords Technology Solutions Limited, the group’s dedicated technology company, reflecting Setfords’ wider strategy of bringing legal services, technology and data expertise together within one vertically integrated business.
Gervais Carlton-Blake, Group CIO and CISO at Setfords, said:
“I’m honoured to receive this recognition, it’s a real team achievement. What’s been delivered is truly incredible and I am lucky to work with such a talented team.
The transformation has helped drive our vertically integrated firm comprising legal service delivery, data and technology, ready to scale for the next decade and beyond. It has taken a huge amount of hard work from so many people across the business so its great to see all of the hard work recognised. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in getting us here.”
Chris Setford, co-CEO of Setfords, said:
“Congratulations to Gervais on this well-deserved recognition. He has made an important contribution to the development of our technology capabilities and to the successful rollout of Halo.
“Building our own technology is a fundamental part of our strategy, giving us greater control over how we develop our business and support our lawyers.
“This award reflects the hard work of Gervais and the wider team who have helped make that possible.”
