Manchester legal technology firm Summize has appointed Andrew Leaitherland to its board.
Former Group CEO at DWF and founder of arch.law, Andrew joins the team as a non-executive director and will be advising the firm on its expansion.
A prominent figure in the legal industry, Andrew has more than 20 years’ experience of building and operating law firms, and alongside running arch.law, acts as Chair of The Legal Director.
Established in 2018, Summize is a lightweight assistant to the contract lifecycle and is used by both in-house and private practice legal teams, as well as SMEs.
Andrew Leaitherland, non-executive director at Summize, said: “The use of technology in the legal sector has the potential to be revolutionary, and already we’re seeing the positive impact it can have both on firms’ efficiency and client servicing.
“I’m joining Summize at an exciting time, both for the industry and the company. The firm has already taken its first steps into international markets and has ambitious plans to develop more software and expand its reach to new sectors over the next year.”
Summize, the developer and provider of software for the legal sector, has recently secured £1 million in funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), which will be used as it embarks on its next stage of growth. It will utilise the new funding to expand its client base, develop new services and fine-tune its product offering.
Tom Dunlop, CEO of Summize, said: “We’re excited to have Andrew on board as we start working on our long-term expansion ambitions. Andrew has a wealth of experience working within forward-thinking firms and his expertise will be invaluable, particularly as we continue to provide support to firms looking to take the next step in innovation.
“Manchester is home to a thriving tech scene, and the biggest cluster outside of London, and we want to see this grow, with aspirations to have the region rival the likes of Silicon Valley.
“By working together across the technology sector and sharing ideas we can bring this dream to life and help the firms that call the city home unlock the benefits of digital too – whether that’s using it to forge new relationships at home or abroad, or to evolve their working practices in more efficient, digitally-driven ways.”
Since it was established in 2018, Summize has secured over £1.5 million in funding from different partners. This has been used to bolster team growth, accelerate product development and enable the firm to expand internationally, serving clients in the United States, Australia and South Africa.
The NPIF is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, an initiative launched by the government-owned British Business Bank. It forms part of the government’s Northern Powerhouse vision to rebalance the economies of the north and south of England.
