LegalTech in Leeds will host its annual conference on 21 May at The Rose Bowl, Leeds Beckett University, bringing together 200 legal and tech professionals for the fifth consecutive year. The event continues to strengthen Leeds’ position as a leading UK hub for LegalTech innovation outside London.

LegalTech in Leeds, coordinated by Leeds Law Society, prepares for the return of its flagship Annual Conference. Now in its fifth year, the event has established itself as the largest LegalTech conference outside London, and this year is set to be the most ambitious yet.

With over 70 events hosted since 2022, more than 5,000 sign-ups and 450+ speakers, LegalTech in Leeds has grown into one of the UK’s most active and influential regional LegalTech communities.

The 2026 conference builds on that momentum, bringing together over 200 legal and tech professionals from across the region and beyond for a full day of keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats and a LegalTech showcase.

This year’s theme, The drive to adoption: turning LegalTech ambition into action, puts practical progress front and centre, with sessions focused on embedding LegalTech into real operations, shifting culture to support innovation, and navigating an evolving regulatory and policy landscape.

This year’s agenda has been designed to move beyond conversation and into action. Attendees can expect keynotes from national thought leaders and panel discussions on culture change and technology adoption. Speakers include, PEXA’s Head of Government & Public Affairs Angela Hesketh, Claire Zucker from Laurel, Peter Ambrose from Legalito, and Beth Fellner, Director of Legal Geek, alongside insights from regulators like the Bar Standards Board on AI guidance for the Bar.

Sessions on data governance, legal operations and the future of legal skills sit alongside an investor perspectives panel and a LegalTech showcase featuring innovations from regional and national firms.

The conference is delivered in partnership with Lawtech UK, the national body working to accelerate technology adoption across the legal sector. The partnership brings national reach and programming insight to an event that has always been proudly rooted in the Leeds region, and reflects a shared ambition to make LegalTech adoption a reality for firms of every size.

A spokesperson for Lawtech UK said: “Lawtech UK is proud to partner with LegalTech in Leeds on this year’s Annual Conference. The Leeds community exemplifies exactly what is possible when regional ambition is matched with genuine collaboration, and we are pleased to bring our national perspective to both the programming and promotion of an event that is making a real difference to how technology is adopted across the legal sector.”

The 2026 conference has attracted some of the most prominent names in LegalTech and legal education as sponsors, reflecting the growing national and international significance of the Leeds event.

Clio, one of the world’s leading legal practice management platforms and a driving force in global LegalTech, returns as a primary sponsor for the second consecutive year. Their continued backing signals not just confidence in the Leeds community, but a genuine commitment to accelerating LegalTech adoption across the UK’s regions.

Clio’s Harry Black will be delivering the keynote, The Efficiency Advantage: How AI Is Rewriting the Rules for Modern Law Firms, getting to the heart of what modern legal practice needs to look like.

BPP, whose legal education programmes are shaping the next generation of legal professionals across the UK, brings its expertise and influence to the conference as a primary sponsor. With technology transforming how law is practised and taught, BPP’s involvement underlines the growing importance of LegalTech literacy at every stage of a legal career.

Clare Grant, Commercial Director at BPP, said: “BPP is delighted to be a primary sponsor of the LegalTech in Leeds Annual Conference 2026. The theme of turning ambition into action resonates deeply with how we approach legal education and professional development. Events like this are vital in bringing together the people and ideas that will shape the next generation of legal services, and we are proud to support a community that is making that happen right here in Leeds.”

The conference is also supported by sponsors Walker Morris, University of Law,  PEXA, Laurel, Legalito, Bruntwood SciTech and katchr representing a broad cross-section of the legal and technology sectors.

The conference is held at The Rose Bowl, Leeds Beckett University, one of Leeds’ most distinctive and well-connected venues, and a fitting home for an event at the intersection of law, technology and education.

Leeds Beckett’s Leeds Law School is a proud partner of the conference, and the University’s commitment to innovation and applied learning makes it a natural hub for the LegalTech in Leeds community.

Deveral Capps, Professor of Law and Dean of Leeds Law School, Leeds Beckett University, said: “Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Law School is proud to host the LegalTech in Leeds Conference. This event provides an important platform for bringing together experts, practitioners, students and innovators to consider how technology is reshaping the legal landscape, and to reinforce our commitment to excellence, innovation and collaboration.”

LegalTech in Leeds is coordinated by Leeds Law Society, the professional membership organisation for solicitors and the wider legal community in the Leeds region. Since taking on the coordination of LegalTech in Leeds, Leeds Law Society has reinforced its commitment to innovation and the future of legal services, championing collaboration between the legal and tech sectors and ensuring Leeds punches well above its weight on the national LegalTech stage.

Luke Corcoran, President of Leeds Law Society, said: “Taking on the coordination of LegalTech in Leeds is something we are incredibly proud of. This community has built something genuinely special over the past four years, and it is a natural home within Leeds Law Society. We are committed to driving collaboration between the legal and technology sectors in our region, and the Annual Conference is the centrepiece of that ambition. This year’s event is going to be bigger and better than ever, and I would encourage everyone across the legal and tech community to come and be part of it.”

The LegalTech in Leeds Annual Conference 2026 takes place on Thursday 21 May, 2026 at The Rose Bowl, Leeds Beckett University.

Doors open at 8.00am and the event runs until 5.00pm, with networking and drinks to close the day. To get tickets for the event, or to find out more, click here.

LockerQuest has partnered with Northern to introduce YEEP! parcel lockers for rail passengers across its network. The new self-service facilities are designed to give customers a simple, secure, and convenient way to collect, send, and return parcels as part of their everyday journeys.

The rollout of YEEP! parcel lockers will provide customers with a convenient way to collect and send parcels while on the move.

To date, 50 solar-powered YEEP! lockers have been installed across train operator Northern’s stations in the north of England, allowing customers to pick up and drop off packages to fit in with their travel plans.

Stations where you can find a YEEP! locker include; Rochdale, St Helen’s Central, Chorley, Wakefield Kirkgate and Crewe. Further stations are currently being reviewed with a view to see additional YEEP! lockers being installed across the network.

Northern is the UK’s second-largest train operator, running 2,650 daily services connecting over 500 stations throughout the North of England.

The strategic partnership between the rail operator and parcel locker location experts LockerQuest aims to transform station facilities into multi-purpose community hubs.

LockerQuest helps property owners generate additional revenue by bringing lockers to unused or underutilised space to increase customer footfall, managing the process from surveys through to installation and ongoing management.

Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern, said: “Northern stations serve local communities and are perfect places to offer the popular services which people require.

“Thanks to our partnership with LockerQuest we can offer customers the convenience of combining travelling with collecting or dropping off their parcels.

“LockerQuest have been great partners so we are pleased to offer lockers to the thousands of customers who visit these stations every day, forming a basis for the development of our  partnership in the future.”

Jonathan White, LockerQuest CEO, said: “Rail networks such as Northern’s serve as vital connection points for communities so installing smart lockers extends that connectivity into the world of commerce and logistics.

“By positioning secure lockers at Northern stations, customers benefit from the convenience of accessible and automated facilities on their travel routes so passengers can expect to see many more facilities installed throughout 2026.

“With Northern’s impressive network serving approximately 100 million passenger journeys annually, our developing partnership enhances our service footprint for retail and carrier partners across the North of England.”

LockerQuest’s mission is to unlock the value of underused space by delivering end-to-end solutions that create guaranteed income for partners, support locker network growth and improve everyday convenience for communities.

To find out more about LockerQuest and to see the full list of YEEP! lockers installed on Northern stations go to https://lockerquest.com/

Businesses across the UK are being warned about the increasing risks associated with disconnected communication systems, as new insight highlights how fragmented messaging channels may lead to operational inefficiencies, compliance gaps and poor customer engagement.

Communication specialists at Micom Technologies have warned that many organisations are now relying on multiple disconnected providers to manage customer interactions across email, SMS, print, portals, messaging apps, and contact centre platforms, often without a unified delivery or reporting structure in place.

In many organisations, customer communications are spread across multiple platforms, suppliers and channels, making governance, reporting and customer experience increasingly difficult to manage at scale.

Micom says the risk is increasing as customer journeys become more complex and expectations around responsiveness continue to rise. Research indicates that B2B buyers now interact with an average of 10 touchpoints before making a purchasing decision, placing greater pressure on businesses to maintain consistent communication across channels.

According to the company, fragmented systems can create situations in which messages appear to have been processed internally but are never successfully delivered to the customer due to failed validation, disconnected workflows, or the absence of fallback delivery routes.

The issue is particularly significant for regulated industries where delivery assurance and auditability are critical, including financial services, healthcare, utilities, and public sector organisations.

Andy Barber, CEO of Micom Technologies, said: “Most businesses didn’t intentionally build fragmented communication environments. These systems evolved over time as teams adopted different tools to solve different problems.

“The challenge now is that customers expect communication to feel seamless, while internally many organisations are managing disconnected platforms that don’t always share data, reporting, or delivery logic effectively.

“In regulated sectors especially, businesses cannot afford gaps between systems where a communication may be triggered but not successfully delivered or evidenced.”

Micom is advising organisations to reassess how communication workflows operate across channels and ensure critical customer messaging can dynamically route between digital and physical delivery methods where required.

The company says businesses should focus on unified reporting and audit trails, connected workflows across communication channels, delivery validation and fallback logic, centralised customer communication management, and reducing unnecessary platform duplication.

The warning follows growing market demand for consolidated communication environments that combine digital messaging, print, workflow automation, and reporting within a more connected infrastructure.

Micom points to measurable improvements where communication systems have been coordinated more effectively. In one financial services deployment, introducing digital-first delivery with structured fallback workflows improved payment cycles by 45% while reducing mailing costs by 65% .

Andy Barber added: “Multi-channel communication is no longer the challenge. Most organisations already have multiple ways to reach customers.

“The real challenge is ensuring those channels operate together reliably, particularly when customer experience, compliance, and operational performance all depend on successful delivery.”

For more information about Micom Technologies, visit www.micom.com.

A new campaign from eXroid is encouraging people to incorporate more walking into their daily routines, raising awareness of how regular physical activity may support bowel health, improve mental wellbeing and help individuals take a more proactive approach to their health.

Launched to coincide with National Walking Month and Mental Health Awareness Week, the campaign aims to encourage more open conversations around haemorrhoids, a condition that can affect both physical comfort and emotional health. 

Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of movement, but it can also play an important role in supporting healthy bowel function. Regular movement may help reduce constipation, while spending less time sitting can also help reduce rectal pressure, both of which are commonly linked to haemorrhoid symptoms.

The campaign also highlights the emotional impact haemorrhoids can have on sufferers. According to eXroid, 26% of sufferers say piles have a big impact on their emotional wellbeing, while 30% say the condition has a big impact on their day-to-day life.

Embarrassment remains a significant barrier for many people seeking help. Figures shared by eXroid show that 48% of women and 16% of men feel embarrassed or ashamed about having haemorrhoids, while 17% of sufferers have never told anyone about their symptoms. 

Dr Mark Hudson-Peacock, Medical Director at eXroid, said: “Walking is a simple, accessible way to support physical wellbeing, but it can also help people feel more in control of their health. Haemorrhoids can affect confidence and emotional wellbeing, but no one should feel embarrassed to seek help. Speaking about symptoms early can reduce stress and help people access the right support.” 

eXroid provides a non-surgical treatment for internal haemorrhoids, offering an alternative to hospital surgery without admission, significant post-operative pain or prolonged recovery. The procedure is designed to offer a discreet treatment option for patients before symptoms worsen. 

Many people delay treatment because they believe surgery is their only option. eXroid aims to change that by offering a non-invasive electrotherapy procedure suitable for all four grades of internal haemorrhoids. 

The company is supported by published clinical evidence and recognised by NICE under IPG525. eXroid Technology Ltd is also EU MDR certified, its UK clinical service is rated Outstanding by the CQC, and the company is a recipient of The King’s Award for Innovation. 

With more than 5 million people in the UK estimated to suffer from haemorrhoids each year, eXroid is encouraging people to prioritise both their physical and emotional wellbeing, highlighting how simple lifestyle habits such as regular walking can play a positive role in supporting both. 

Reacton Fire Suppression Ltd has been honoured with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category—one of just 52 organisations nationally to receive this recognition in 2026.

As part of the award, CEO Sam Malins will meet His Majesty King Charles III at a grand ceremony at St James Palace. The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the world and 2026 marks 60 years of celebrating outstanding UK business excellence.

The award recognises Reacton’s ground breaking and British-made fire suppression systems, which today protect billions of pounds worth of assets. Combining advanced detection and suppression technologies, they automatically extinguish fires at their source. At the heart of the innovation is a proprietary pneumatic detection tube filled with nitrogen. When exposed to heat or flame, the tube ruptures, instantly triggering the release of an extinguishing agent—without the need for external power.

This power-independent capability is a major advancement in fire safety, particularly in high-risk environments where electrical systems may fail. Reacton systems can also incorporate electronic linear detection as an alternative, offering flexibility across a wide range of applications—from heavy plant machinery and bus engines to electrical control panels and CNC equipment.

The King’s Awards commended Reacton’s dual-agent suppression technology. This combines dry powder for rapid flame knockdown with wet chemical to cool surfaces and prevent re-ignition. The result is faster, more effective fire suppression compared to traditional single-agent systems. For sensitive environments, clean agent options—fluorinated ketones discharged as gas—extinguish fires without leaving residue, making them safe for occupied or equipment-heavy spaces.

Further innovation lies in the system’s simplicity and scalability. Reacton uses a “one valve fits all” approach, meaning the same core valve technology can protect anything from a small electrical cabinet to a 400-tonne mining machine. Only the cylinder size and agent volume vary, reducing complexity and installation time while improving reliability.

Reacton’s journey began in 2010 when Sam Malins acquired a small start-up with the aim of solving a critical gap in fire protection for high-value mobile equipment. Following the 2016 acquisition of Reacton Fire Suppression Ltd, the business became an Essex-based hub for manufacturing, research and development as well as international sales.

Today, Reacton protects billions of pounds’ worth of assets across sectors including public transport, mining, IT infrastructure, manufacturing and defence, with key markets in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Africa and Central Asia. Clients include JCB and DP World. Crucially by protecting equipment, the systems also help safeguard lives across the world.

Commenting on the award, Sam Malins said: “This recognition reflects the dedication and expertise of our entire team. We’ve always believed that even in the face of challenges, there is a solution—you just have to go and find it. This award is proof of that mindset in action.”

Sam Malins is a driven and resilient entrepreneur, Essex born and bred, he was inspired from a young age by business thinking and books such as Good to Great by Jim Collins and Brad Sugars’ Action Coaching methodology. Citing Richard Branson as inspiration, Sam is guided by his belief that “there is always a yes out there.” He leads his team with focus, determination and quiet confidence.

The King’s Award celebrates not only British-made innovation but also the vision, resilience and leadership driving it forward—qualities that continue to define Reacton’s success.  

The Airdri Group has been recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. Only 185 businesses across the UK achieved a King’s Award – one of the highest honours a UK business can achieve – this year. 

Announced on Wednesday, the Award recognises the Airdri Group for outstanding success in Innovation. The Airdri Group family of businesses includes Airdri hand dryers, Formula Systems elevator safety technologies and Aervi™ air and surface decontamination systems. 

The Airdri Group, founded in 1974 by engineer and entrepreneur Peter Philipps, is headquartered in Oxford, UK. It is an international group centred on engineering excellence. 

Bruce Philipps, president and CEO, the Airdri Group said: “We are honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. 

“Our engineering heritage spans over 50 years and throughout that time we have been innovating in engineering. We are experts in all our business areas, and it is wonderful to receive this recognition specifically for Vision Plus from Formula Systems. Vision Plus is a sector-leading innovation in elevator safety technologies; a 3D curtain of light which most importantly helps keep people safe – and is straightforward to install making it the perfect smart choice for elevator manufacturers. 

“The King’s Award presents us with a wonderful opportunity to highlight UK engineering excellence. We are committed to UK research and development, supporting the engineering sector, and to continuing to create innovative products which enhance lives, and save businesses time and money.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious business awards. Winners are allowed to display the King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years — a globally recognised mark of excellence.