Freeths appoints John Jones as Chief Technology Officer

Freeths has appointed John Jones as Chief Technology Officer, expanding the law firm's senior leadership team.

Jones joins with responsibility for technology strategy across Freeths' 12 UK offices, including its technology platforms and support for staff and clients.

He brings more than 30 years of experience in technology and professional services. Jones began his career as a software developer before moving into senior leadership roles, most recently as Chief Technology Officer at Forvis Mazars, following earlier senior technology positions at BDO.

He will oversee work on secure, resilient systems as Freeths continues to invest in its technology estate. The role also covers data, digital skills and the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

The appointment comes as law firms face growing pressure to modernise internal systems, manage cyber risk and meet client expectations for digital service. In firms with multiple offices, technology leadership is increasingly tied to operational consistency and the delivery of legal work.

Freeths is a Top 50 commercial law firm with clients across the private and public sectors. The firm is also known for acting for 555 sub-postmaster clients in the High Court litigation against the Post Office and for advising on related compensation schemes.

Technology brief

Karl Jansen, National Managing Partner at Freeths, said the appointment comes at a significant stage in the firm's development.

"John joins Freeths at an important point in our ongoing growth and development. Technology is central to how we support our people, serve our clients and operate as a modern law firm. John's depth of experience, combined with his pragmatic and inclusive leadership style, will be instrumental as we continue to build scalable, resilient and innovative technology foundations across the firm," said Karl Jansen, National Managing Partner at Freeths.

Jones said he had been struck by the firm's culture and the strength of its existing systems.

"Freeths is an ambitious firm with a strong culture and values that are clearly lived day to day. I was impressed by both the firm's existing technology platforms and the clarity of its plans for the future. Professional services, and the legal sector in particular, is going through significant change, and technology has a vital role to play in enabling better outcomes for clients and colleagues. I'm excited to be joining Freeths and to be working closely with teams across the business to support the next stage of the firm's journey," said Jones.

His arrival reflects a wider shift in the legal sector, where firms are adding senior technology leaders with experience beyond law. Accounting and advisory firms have often been earlier adopters of large-scale platform changes, cloud systems and data programmes, making that talent pool increasingly relevant to legal partnerships seeking to modernise their operations.

At Freeths, the brief spans the firm's national footprint and internal teams, suggesting the role is intended to go beyond conventional IT management. In law firms, technology chiefs are increasingly expected to balance infrastructure decisions with workflow, information security and the practical use of artificial intelligence in fee-earning and business support functions.

For clients, those changes can affect how matters are managed, how documents are handled and how teams collaborate across offices. For firms, they also shape recruitment, retention and the ability to standardise processes as they grow.

Jones' experience with Microsoft, Workday and legal-specific systems is likely to be relevant in that context, particularly as professional services firms review the integration of core business platforms. His background in complex IT environments and transformation programmes also points to a role involving both day-to-day resilience and longer-term systems change.

The appointment reflects continued investment in technology and client service as Freeths develops its operations across the UK.