The head of legal at a FTSE 250 company went silent for a few minutes when we asked him to mention an innovative lawyer he had used. Then he said he did not think it was possible for lawyers to be innovative.

During the course of the research for this FT Report, we interviewed several major purchasers of legal services and found that even some private practice lawyers shared this sentiment. One leading employment lawyer said: “Innovation in the legal profession? That’s a misnomer. Lawyers are as dull as dishwater.”