Orrick Herrington & Sutfcliffe has hired Nigel Tranter from Pinsent Masons as its chief digital officer to head the firm’s data and business transformation team.

Tranter joins the firm’s Birmingham, UK office alongside a team of five, including head of data Chad Schuessler and director of business transformation Adam Marsland. The team will work closely with the firm’s innovation and IT teams, as they seek to use data, AI and other tools to improve productivity and client service.

Mitch Zuklie, Orrick chair, said: “We are at a pivotal moment as a profession in advancing our ability to integrate data-driven insights and new technologies into client advice and the business. With the creation of a chief digital officer role and the commercial experience Nige brings, we are aiming to be leaders in this transformation, which is essential to practicing at the highest level in the tech, financial and energy sectors and attracting and inspiring the top talent of the future.”

Tranter spent just over five years at Pinsent Masons, the majority of them as chief technology officer. Prior to that, he was chief information officer at Gulf Bank and spent almost nine years at Barclays as chief architect for Europe and Middle East retail and business banking. He was also previously head of information technology at UK building society The West Brom and solution architect at Britannia Building Society.

He said: “Orrick has long been known as an innovator in everything they do and it’s a unique moment to advance the firm’s strategy through a heightened focus on data and process.”

A number of firms have been accelerating their digital transformation efforts this year. Earlier this month, Macfarlanes said it was partnering with artificial intelligence start-up HarveyAI – a generative AI tool designed specifically for legal work and built on OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology. It will be able to automate tasks such as reviewing, analysing and summarising documents, as well as answer general legal questions and draft documents.

Allen & Overy also said this year that it was integrating Harvey across its global business.

Some firms are also broadening digital services for clients. In June, Herbert Smith Freehills named Libby Jackson as its first managing partner of its digital legal services practice. She also heads the firm’s alternative legal services arm, ALT.