Most legal events tell you what’s changed. This one was about what to do next.

S&B Activate 2025 brought together business leaders, in-house lawyers and S&B specialists to explore how to drive growth amid ongoing market uncertainty and legislative change.

Early Slido polls revealed most attendees are confident in their business but uneasy about the world around them, scoring overall optimism around 60 out of 100.

Throughout the morning there were opportunities to exchange ideas, share what’s working and map out steps forward, helping clients find focus.

Finding control in a volatile world

The first conversation captured the paradox of the moment: stability versus opportunity. Speakers urged clients to focus on what they can control.

“Stability feels distant, but there’s plenty we can still control.”
Gustaf Duhs, Partner and Head of Competition & Regulatory at Stevens & Bolton

Tariffs are being used as political tools, conflicts are pushing up prices and sanctions can freeze cross-border payments overnight. In this climate, contracts become shock absorbers. Shorter terms, clearer termination triggers and smarter price-review clauses were highlighted as practical next steps.

In terms of disputes and insolvency, this means enforcement should be planned at the drafting stage, not after things go wrong. Updates such as the new Arbitration Act and the 2019 Hague Convention will make it easier to enforce judgments abroad, but only if the groundwork is laid early.

With post-Covid insolvency rules preventing suppliers from ending contracts simply because a customer enters insolvency, counterparty risk remains high. Tightening credit control and building pre-insolvency exit rights were urged as must-dos.

Preparing for legal change

The next session turned to the practical realities of change, especially the new laws influencing how organisations hire, govern and grow.

The Employment Rights Bill dominated attention—a once-in-a-generation reform set to reshape hiring and management. Day-one unfair dismissal rights, stronger union recognition and wider duties to prevent sexual harassment mark a decisive shift in workplace power. This is a time to prepare, not panic. Focus on training managers, updating contracts and aligning culture and policy.

Integrity was another recurring theme. Failure to prevent fraud is an offence that carries unlimited fines, demands clear prevention measures and visible leadership from the top. The Companies House ID verification rules will bring the same level of accountability to governance, requiring directors and major shareholders to prove their identities.

Finally, the Data Use and Access Act and related UK GDPR reforms will redefine how organisations govern data and AI. The consistent thread is that regulators now expect evidence of control. For in-house teams, the next move is to turn these shifts into readiness plans before they become pressure points.

“Regulation will keep shifting, but if you build good habits through training, clear policies and evidence of control, you’ll stay ahead.”
Beverley Flynn, Partner and Head of Commercial & IT at Stevens & Bolton

Embracing AI responsibly

If the morning began with managing volatility, it ended with mastering possibility.

The final panel discussion explored how AI is already reshaping the legal function. Most organisations in the room were using AI for process efficiency, yet the greatest concern was unregulated use and “unknown risks”.

Two ideas stood out. The first was speed. AI has collapsed development cycles from months to days, forcing legal teams to move from gatekeepers to collaborators—building guardrails without killing creativity. 

The second was accountability. From bias being introduced to recruitment tools to opaque algorithms, it’s still the business – not the technology – that carries the legal risk.

The law, speakers agreed, is still catching up. Until it does, ethics must lead. The most forward-looking organisations are already building ethical frameworks that bring together lawyers, technologists, data scientists and even philosophers to guide responsible use. It’s a trend that recognises compliance alone isn’t enough. Trust in innovation depends on sound judgement, openness and collaboration.

“The law is still playing catch-up, which means ethics must take the lead—uniting lawyers, technologists, scientists and even philosophers to guide how AI is used responsibly.”
Imogen Armstrong, Chief Legal Officer, Stelia

Practical lessons followed. Businesses should grow AI literacy across the organisation, involve legal early in product and procurement decisions, and use existing discrimination, data and human rights law as scaffolding for new ethical standards. Some clients are moving beyond single AI clauses in their contracts, introducing AI addenda that reflect how deeply the technology cuts across contracts and governance.

“A single AI clause doesn’t cut it anymore. We’ve drafted an AI addendum so clients know we’ve thought about data, IP and liability from the start.”
Sarah Batterbury, General Counsel, Unily

The empowered in-house lawyer, the panel agreed, isn’t the one with all the answers, but the one confident enough to learn, question and lead alongside others as the rules evolve.

Legal advice you can act on

As the morning drew to a close, one message resonated above the rest. Clarity creates momentum. Legal teams can’t control the pace of change, but they can control how they respond to it.

Many clients said they were leaving with a clearer view of their to-do list for 2026. Now let’s make it happen.

To request the event slides or speak with us about any of the issues raised, please get in touch. 

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