Pinsent Masons has hired Neil Green as its first transformation director to help accelerate the firm’s innovation strategies.

Green joins from Barclays, where most recently he was head of legaltech and transformation within the bank’s in-house legal function. He will be responsible for overseeing Pinsent Masons’ transformation strategies around client service delivery and other change initiatives.

Matt Peers, COO at Pinsent Masons said: “Neil is a leader in the field of legal technology and innovation. His expertise in legal strategy, process simplification and technological convergence has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in our sector.”

Green spent more than 11 years at Barclays, first as a project manager for its trade and supply chain finance business, before working with the group general counsel on legal transformation in 2018. He then became head of strategy and transformation and interim head of global contract services, before taking on his most recent role. Prior to joining Barclays, Green worked at Royal Bank of Scotland for more than 13 years across a range of roles.

Green said: “Transformation is core to the success of a business, no one succeeds by standing still. The next five years will be pivotal for the legal industry. The market is becoming more competitive, cost and operational efficiency is key for clients, and there’s a great sense of anticipation over what opportunities generative AI and other technological advancements will bring.”

Green’s arrival follows a series of non-legal appointments to bolster the firm’s operations. In January, it hired Tracey McDermott as chief technology officer from McCarthy Stone and Hannah Kozlova Lindsay as chief people officer from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in April. The firm has also launched a tech R&D team and has been investing in AI across the business.

Green added: “At Pinsent Masons there’s a real buzz about how the organisation is evolving. Coming from an in-house legal team I have the perspective of someone who has extensive experience of purchasing services from external advisors. What really attracted me to this firm is the extensive range of technology and talent that the firm already has – there’s boundless potential here.”