How to predict the future of your firm’s success

Category: Blog, Empowering Law Firm Leaders Interview Series, Legal Accounting, Podcast, Practice Management 9th September 2025

In episode 23 of the Empowering Law Firm Leaders podcast, Graham explores the common challenges firms face when managing data, how to overcome them, and why embracing a commercial mindset is key to long-term success.

In this conversation, Graham Moore, founder and managing director of Katchr, shares his insights on how law firms can unlock the power of their data to stay competitive and future-ready. With over 35 years of experience in legal tech, Graham discusses the behaviours, mindsets, and tools that set successful firms apart, and offers practical advice for how to benchmark your analytical maturity and build a data-driven culture.

In this conversation we cover:

The four stages of analytical maturity
How to build trust in your data
The KPIs that matter—and why they should be unique to your firm
The role of leadership in driving a data strategy
How to get the most from your legal tech investment

Watch the interview with Graham:

Listen to the episode here:

Three pillars of running a successful law firm

Drawing on over three decades of experience in legal technology and business transformation, Graham Moore identifies three core principles that underpin the success of modern law firms.

Embrace the business of law: Graham urges firms to go beyond simply accepting they are businesses. “The crucial difference is where firms really embrace that fact,” he says. This includes being comfortable with marketing and sales—terms still avoided in many practices. “If you run a golf day, you’re trying to sell legal services.”

Empower your people: Success isn’t just about lawyers. “You need good people in all aspects of your business,” Graham explains. He challenges the outdated ‘non-lawyer’ label and advocates for a culture where everyone contributes. “When you’ve got the right people in place, everything becomes easier.”

Use the data you already have: Law firms are sitting on a wealth of underused data. “Most are just scraping the surface,” Graham notes. He encourages firms to start using what they have, even if imperfect. “Data-driven decision-making is always going to be more effective than relying on hunches.”

Benchmarking analytical maturity

To help firms understand where they stand on their data journey, Graham outlines four stages of analytical maturity:

Descriptive – What happened?
Diagnostic – Why did it happen?
Predictive – What will happen?
Prescriptive – How can we make it happen?

The final and most advanced stage is prescriptive analytics. “This is the Holy Grail,” Graham says. “It’s where your systems don’t just tell you what might happen—they tell you what you should do to achieve your goals.” Whether it’s reallocating resources, adjusting pricing, or closing underperforming offices, prescriptive analytics offers actionable recommendations based on data. “Nobody’s really doing this yet,” he admits, “but that’s where the industry is heading.”

For most firms, the journey begins with recognising their current position. “Virtually all law firms we come across are still at level one,” Graham says. “And many aren’t even doing that well.” But rather than being discouraged, he sees this as an opportunity. “There’s a lot of room for improvement—and even small steps up the ladder can make a big difference.”

Overcoming barriers to progress

Graham identifies two primary barriers that prevent firms from progressing through the stages of analytical maturity: technology and trust.

“The first one is the technology,” Graham explains. “There are tools available to do some really good stuff at levels two and three, but they’re very high-end. They’re expensive tools used by large corporations, and the vast majority of law firms simply can’t afford them.” This creates a gap between aspiration and capability, particularly for SME firms. At Katchr, Graham and his team are working to bridge that gap by making advanced analytics more accessible.

However, even with the right tools, progress is impossible without trust in the data. “This is potentially more fundamental and more long-term,” Graham says. “Our experience is the vast majority of law firms just don’t trust the quality of their data.” Without confidence in the underlying information, firms are understandably hesitant to rely on it for strategic decisions. “If they don’t trust the data, they’re never going to trust the outcomes. Quite rightly—garbage in, garbage out.”

Graham notes that financial data tends to be more trusted, thanks to external scrutiny and regulatory requirements. “Finance systems are pretty rigorous. There are lots of controls in place, and the SRA will come in and look at your finances. These things have to be reported.” But outside of finance, data quality often deteriorates.

The solution lies in creating a culture of accountability and purpose around data. “Start using it. Feed it back. Make it visible. Give people a reason to care.” Only then can firms begin to climb the ladder of analytical maturity and unlock the strategic value of their information.

About the speaker

Graham Moore is the founder and managing director of Katchr, a dashboard and analytics reporting solution tailored for SME law firms. With a background in engineering and software development, Graham has spent over 35 years solving business problems through technology—most notably in the legal sector. His passion lies in helping firms make sense of their data to drive better decision-making and long-term success.

What behaviours, mindsets, and tools set innovative firms apart?

The most successful law firms are those that dare to think differently. According to Graham, innovation in legal practice isn’t just about adopting new technology—it’s about embracing a fundamentally different way of thinking about leadership, structure, and strategy.

At the heart of this transformation is a commercial mindset. “If the mindset of the law firm or the leadership of the law firm is primarily commercial, then that makes a huge difference,” Graham explains. This doesn’t mean sacrificing legal integrity for profit but rather recognising that sustainable success requires strategic business thinking.

Graham shares that many of the most innovative firms are not led by lawyers. “Lawyers are trained to be risk-averse,” he says. “They’re not necessarily entrepreneurial.” While there are certainly exceptions, he argues that leadership from outside the legal profession can bring fresh perspectives and a willingness to challenge the status quo. “The idea that to run a successful law firm you need to be a lawyer is, in this day and age, just nonsense.”

Another hallmark of innovative firms is focus. “Firms need to develop a niche. They need to differentiate themselves,” Graham says. He cites one of his favourite quotes from author Kevin Kelly: “Don’t be the best—be the only.” In a crowded market, being the only firm that offers a specific service or operates in a unique way can be far more powerful than trying to be the best at everything. “It’s so much easier to say, ‘I’m the only law firm in my town that does X.’”

Practical steps for becoming data-ready

Graham highlights that firms must start by building confidence in the data they already have—and being willing to draw a line in the sand.

“Until you’ve got data that you can trust, that everybody in the firm trusts, everything else is difficult,” Graham explains. Many firms feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, particularly when faced with decades of inconsistent or incomplete data. “A lot of conversations I have with firms start with, ‘We’ve got 20 years of data and it’s all rubbish.’ My advice? Don’t clean it up. Just start again.”

Rather than trying to fix the past, Graham encourages firms to focus on the future. “Think forwards, not backwards. If you can’t fix the old data, start now. Get the data right for the future.” This pragmatic approach allows firms to take control of their data journey without becoming paralysed by legacy issues. “Over the next five to ten years, the importance of data is only going to increase as machine learning and AI tools become more embedded in legal practice. Those tools rely on clean, reliable data. If you don’t have it, you’ll be left behind.”

Ultimately, becoming data ready isn’t about perfection – it’s about progress. It’s about making a conscious decision to treat data as a strategic asset and putting the right foundations in place to use it effectively. “Start small, start now,” Graham says. “Because the firms that do will be the ones that thrive in the future.”

Lessons learnt on how law firms can best utilise technology to improve their business

After decades in legal tech, Graham has seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly of implementing legal tech. His advice?

Use software as it’s meant to be used – Don’t try to bend it to fit outdated processes. This leads to unnecessary customisations, workarounds, and ultimately, frustration.
Train your people – “Make sure everybody knows how to use it—and why.” But training isn’t just about functionality—it’s about purpose. “People need to understand why they’re using the system, what the data is for, and how it contributes to the firm’s goals.”
Keep iterating – “Don’t stop after implementation. That’s when the real work begins… You’ve replaced the old system—now it’s time to improve, optimise, and innovate.” Continuous improvement should be built into the firm’s culture and processes.
Engage with your supplier – “Give them feedback but also listen. Your supplier sees what’s happening across the industry. They know what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next. Use that knowledge.”

Ultimately, it’s not about the tech – it’s about how you use it. “Success in legal tech isn’t about having the flashiest tools. It’s about aligning your systems with your strategy, empowering your people, and committing to continuous improvement. That’s what separates the firms that thrive from those that fall behind.”ategy, empowering your people, and committing to continuous improvement. That’s what separates the firms that thrive from those that fall behind.”

Laying the foundations for a predictable future

To build a successful and sustainable law firm, leaders must look beyond the day-to-day and begin laying the groundwork for long-term, data-driven growth. The firms that are best positioned for the future are those that embrace a commercial mindset, empower their people, and use data not just to reflect on the past—but to shape what comes next.

By understanding where your firm sits on the analytical maturity model, and by taking practical steps to improve data quality, align KPIs with strategic goals, and embed a culture of continuous improvement, you can begin to make smarter, faster, and more confident decisions. The future of your firm doesn’t need to be uncertain; with the right tools, behaviours, and mindset, it can be predicted and planned for.

Watch the full interview with Graham Moore now to discover more advice and guidance on utilising data to predict and guide the future of your firm. You’ll also hear Graham’s exclusive advice on who is responsible for managing the data at your firm and practical advice for becoming data ready.