Designing Smarter Systems: The Evolution of Legal Operations
- Cosmonauts Team
- Oct 28
- 4 min read
In the latest feature of our Legal Innovators UK interview series, we speak with Laura Revie, Director of Legal Operations at FanDuel, who leads strategy, technology, process improvement, and outside counsel management to drive efficiency and innovation across Legal and Compliance.
With a background in project management and design innovation, Laura brings a creative lens to building scalable systems and driving automation. In this interview, she shares how Legal Ops can evolve from a support function to a strategic business partner - harnessing AI, automation, and co-design to reshape how legal teams work and deliver value.
Over the past few years, how has your vision for the role of legal operations evolved - from being a support function to potentially a driver of strategic business outcomes?
When I first stepped into legal operations, I brought with me a designer’s mindset, focused on how systems, people, and processes interact to create meaningful outcomes. I naturally looked beyond the legal team, zooming out to understand how work flows across the business and where we, as Legal Ops, could design smarter, more human-centred solutions.
From the beginning, I saw Legal Ops as far more than a support function. I’ve always paid close attention to the critical touchpoints, where work comes in, where decisions go out, and how those interactions shape both process and perception. These moments are opportunities to design not just for efficiency, but for better collaboration and stronger cross-functional relationships.
That mindset has only deepened over time. Legal Ops, when intentionally designed, becomes a strategic engine, powering better outcomes across the business, not just within Legal. That’s been my north star from day one.
Which specific legal workflows have seen the greatest measurable impact from AI or automation in your organisation?
We’ve seen some of our biggest wins from automating workflows with repeatable, rules-based steps, especially those tied to regulatory case management. By automating case creation from status triggers, pulling in relevant data, benchmarking against internal guidelines, and drafting comms for human review, we’ve unlocked significant time savings (about 1 day per week of work saved for a person annually).
These processes are only scaling as the business grows, and automation is what’s allowing us to scale with them, without growing headcount. It’s been a game-changer for maintaining our high service levels to regulators, freeing up our team to focus on higher-value, more complex work while still keeping a sharp eye on detail.
Looking ahead, where do you see the next wave of innovation in legal operations coming from – is it GenAI, predictive analytics, or something else entirely?
GenAI will absolutely play a role, but I don’t think the next wave is about any one tool. The real innovation will come from how Legal Ops partners across the business to apply these tools strategically. When we align closely with cross-functional teams and take a big-picture view, we can design solutions that drive impact far beyond Legal, unlocking efficiency, cost savings, and better decision-making enterprise-wide.
It’s less about chasing shiny tech and more about using it intentionally, in the context of strong partnerships and smart problem-solving. That’s where the magic happens.
What strategies have helped you overcome resistance to adopting new technologies or processes in your department?
I’m a big believer in design thinking and co-design. When we bring stakeholders into the problem-solving process early, digging into real pain points together, they’re not just along for the ride, they’re fully bought in. They can clearly see how the changes will make their day-to-day easier, which turns resistance into momentum.
Of course, not every rollout is smooth sailing. But having clear objectives and success criteria helps us course-correct when needed, pause, pivot, and keep driving forward.
Where I’ve seen the most resistance? When solutions are designed in isolation. Rolling out a tool or process without involving the right people almost always backfires. Inclusion isn’t just good practice, it’s essential for adoption.
What do you hope legal leaders will take away from events like Legal Innovators UK – and how do events like this shape your own thinking about the profession’s future?
I hope legal leaders walk away from events like Legal Innovators UK feeling energized, not just by the tech, but by the mindset shift happening in our profession. These events remind us that innovation isn’t always smooth or easy, but progress only comes when you’re willing to try, tweak, and try again.
My biggest hope? That leaders leave thinking more critically, not just about what’s new, but about what’s necessary. Solve for the real problem, not the shiny one. Don’t buy a tool just because everyone else is; buy it because it solves something meaningful for your team. Simpler is usually smarter. Edit your stack. Edit your processes. Keep it lean.
At the end of the day, you’re only limited by your own mindset. So get out there, ask the awkward questions, challenge the defaults, and try something new.
As the legal profession embraces change, Laura reminds us that innovation is as much about mindset as it is about tools. Simplicity, collaboration, and intentional design remain the true differentiators in an AI-driven world.
Join the Conversation
Join Laura Revie, Director of Legal Operations at FanDuel, on Day 2 of Legal Innovators UK 6.0 for the panel “Legal Operations, Triage and Legal AI: Redefining Roles, Resources, and Results.”
She’ll discuss how design-led thinking and smarter use of AI are transforming Legal Ops into a strategic enabler, redefining efficiency, impact, and the future of legal service delivery.
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