Harbor, the prominent legal technology and consulting firm based in Chicago, continues its robust expansion strategy by acquiring Encoretech, a specialized company renowned for training and user adoption services tailored to the legal sector. This acquisition is Harbor’s first since receiving a significant investment from private equity firm BayPine in June, marking the company’s sixth acquisition since its establishment in 2023.
Addressing a Critical Gap
The acquisition aims to bridge a crucial gap in the legal industry: the outdated training methodologies prevalent in an era where technology and artificial intelligence are rapidly evolving. Encoretech, with its team of approximately 80 professionals spread across the United States and Europe, specializes in maximizing the return on technology investments for law firms and corporate legal departments through comprehensive training programs.
Training as a Competitive Advantage
“As every aspect of legal services becomes more tech-enabled, training and upskilling legal professionals has become mission-critical,” stated Matt Sunderman, CEO of Harbor. “Encoretech has a track record of excellence as a training services company that offers agile, flexible solutions for law firms and corporate legal departments seeking to ensure their people make the most of the systems and tools available to them.”
The acquisition underscores a broader recognition within the legal technology sector that successful technology adoption, rather than mere acquisition, determines the success of digital transformation initiatives. Despite substantial investments in various technologies, many law firms struggle with meaningful adoption among attorneys and staff.
Encoretech’s Innovative Approach
Encoretech’s flagship offering, Training-as-a-Service (TaaS), provides a fully managed solution that helps law firms redesign their technology training programs from the ground up. This service includes new-hire onboarding, continuous learning through live and on-demand training, custom content development, and integration with learning management systems. Encoretech collaborates with Am Law 200 firms and corporate legal departments.
Aging Solutions for Modern Challenges
Jeffrey Roach, president of Encoretech, highlighted the fundamental mismatch between traditional training approaches and current technology realities. “Technology training programs in the legal sector are often still rooted in the methodologies developed 20 years ago,” Roach said. “With the ubiquity of technology and the advent of AI, it’s clear that the old way of training users is ineffective.”
The challenge has intensified as legal technology evolved beyond basic document production tools to sophisticated AI-powered research platforms, predictive analytics, automated workflows, and cloud-based collaboration systems. Many of these tools require not just technical proficiency but also judgment about when and how to apply them effectively.
Building A Comprehensive Platform
The acquisition of Encoretech fits within Harbor’s broader strategy to assemble capabilities across the “Advise/Implement/Manage lifecycle.” The training services will integrate with Harbor’s Legal Technology + Operations practice, which handles cloud migrations, workflow automation, and ongoing management of enterprise applications.
Strategic Growth
Harbor’s acquisition timeline demonstrates an aggressive growth strategy:
– October 2023 : Acquired Stout’s legal management consulting practice, enhancing e-discovery advisory and corporate legal operations capabilities.
– February 2024 : Acquired Pinnacle, a UK-based legal technology services provider, establishing a significant presence in Europe and Asia Pacific.
– March 2025 : Acquired CLIENTSFirst Consulting, adding marketing technology and CRM data quality services.
– October 2024 : Acquired Ascertus, a UK-based iManage implementation specialist.
– November 2025 : Acquired Encoretech.
This pattern suggests that Harbor is assembling services that address the full spectrum of technology-related challenges law firms face, from strategic planning to long-term adoption and optimization.
First Deal Since BayPine Investment
Harbor’s acquisition of Encoretech marks the first deal completed since BayPine’s majority investment closed in June 2025. Renovus Capital Partners, which previously owned Harbor for three years, remains a significant investor alongside BayPine and Harbor’s management team.
“The legal industry is undergoing a generational transformation driven by the rapid development and availability of emerging technologies and tools,” Sunderman remarked at the time of the BayPine investment. He emphasized that applying advanced technologies and AI to business operations is game-changing, though the transformation required is significant.
Encoretech Integration
The Encoretech team will join Harbor’s Legal Technology + Operations practice, which now encompasses more than 900 professionals globally serving over 80% of global 200 law firms and 500 corporate legal departments. The integration positions Harbor to offer clients a more complete package: strategic technology planning, implementation services, and now comprehensive training and adoption support.
“Harbor has a strong reputation within the legal industry for its expertise in legal technology, operations, and innovation,” said Stacy Gittleman, CEO of Encoretech. “I am thrilled to see our team start a new chapter as part of Harbor.” Jeffrey Roach, who will continue in a leadership role, noted the expansion enables Encoretech to scale its impact and modernize how legal professionals learn and work.
Note: This article is inspired by content from https://www.lawnext.com/2025/11/harbor-acquires-legal-tech-training-firm-encoretech-in-first-deal-since-baypine-investment.html. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.