Alexander Amato-Cravero, director of emerging technologies at HSF, discusses how new technologies are shaping legal practice and the essential skills future lawyers need to stay ahead
Catching up with Alexander Amato-Cravero, director of emerging technologies at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), just after the firm announced its planned merger with US outfit Kramer Levin, it’s clear that both he and the firm are making bold, future-focused moves. The planned merger positions the combined HSF Kramer among the world’s top 20 law firms, with projected revenues topping £1.5 billion. It may also boost the firm’s expertise across key areas like technology, disputes, and financial services — all areas that are central to Amato-Cravero’s work. As he navigates the transformative landscape of law, Amato-Cravero embodies the fresh perspective this potential merger represents. In our conversation, he reflects on his career, the changing demands of legal practice, and the profound shifts emerging technologies bring. For aspiring lawyers, especially those eyeing tech, his journey offers valuable insights.
Reflecting on his early career, Amato-Cravero recalls his trainee rotations through various teams, which helped him to zero in on his true calling. “I thought coming into the profession that I wanted to be a securities and derivatives lawyer,” he shares, describing his initial careers steps. But after trying different seats, including tax, he found himself draw to technology law. “I did a seat in technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) and absolutely loved it,” he says. “We were operating at the cutting edge of new tech developments and helping clients navigate complex legal challenges across data, privacy, intellectual property, and commercial contracting. And I thought, Yes, this is for me.”
Following his training, Amato-Cravero spent a brief period working in-house at a tech start-up. This role provided him with in-depth, unfiltered exposure to business operations — experience he now considers invaluable. “Being inside the business, you see the sheer volume of work and the variety of challenges they face on a day-to-day basis,” he recalls. It gave him insights that would later shape his approach to client needs, adding, “You hear the pain and the problems the business is experiencing as they are, without being watered down or filtered for an external audience.”
After joining HSF, Amato-Cravero’s career took another significant turn as he helped launch the Digital Law Group, an initiative aimed at capitalising on emerging technologies. This group, which later evolved into the Emerging Technologies Group he now leads, consists of over 400 lawyers advising on areas as diverse as blockchain, digital assets, artificial intelligence, and even quantum computing. “We advise across the spectrum — from start-ups and high-growth companies to investors and big tech,” he explains, noting that his team’s reach also includes corporate clients from financial services, pharmaceuticals, and other industries across the board. “Everybody is being impacted by emerging technologies,” he emphasises, highlighting how his team’s work enables clients to anticipate, understand, and respond to these developments. “It’s a proactive approach that goes beyond compliance or regulatory advice, addressing the evolving needs of modern businesses.”
Amato-Cravero introduces an interesting concept he calls “thematics,” referring to broad issues that transcend traditional practice areas and sectors, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. For HSF, and especially for Amato-Cravero, emerging technologies are a core theme that requires advice from every practice area. “I’m not sure the legal sector has fully caught up with the concept of thematics because it requires re-thinking the traditional structure of law firms,” he observes. “Emerging technologies, or technology generally, is one of these pervasive themes that covers all practices and all sectors. ESG is another… energy transition, too.” This focus on thematics at HSF signals a shift from the traditional sector-based approach to one that better reflects today’s interconnected world, allowing the firm to more effectively support clients facing complex, cross-sector challenges.
A significant part of Amato-Cravero’s role is setting strategy and collaborating with colleagues to steer HSF’s approach to emerging technology law. “A lot of my job is going out and listening to clients,” he explains, adding that understanding their challenges firsthand allows his team to map out tailored solutions. “By hearing where the real challenges lie, we’re able to develop solutions that align with their business goals.” His role has a strong consulting aspect, in which he actively works to ensure that HSF’s services are adaptive and consultative. “This is much more of a consulting style,” he says. “We listen, understand, and then map a solution to what the client actually needs.”
His approach to law is entrepreneurial, a style he describes as identifying “pain points” within a business and coming up with solutions to meet these needs. Unlike a rigid ‘brief-and-scope’ model, this adaptive consulting approach allows HSF to shape client solutions in real time. This strategy-focused, collaborative role allows him to think creatively. He adds, “I thrive in complexity — it’s a bit like solving a complex puzzle. I get to step back from the day-to-day and think, what does this mean for the profession and for our clients?”
For aspiring lawyers, especially those interested in tech, Amato-Cravero’s advice centres on curiosity and adaptability. He describes curiosity as “inherent in many of the people that come into the industry” and a quality he actively looks for in potential candidates. Recalling a recent firm event, he reflects, “The thing I find most exciting in any candidate is simply curiosity and a willingness to lean into complex, unknown topics — to pick them up and critically think about them.” He also highlights the value of having a “founder personality,” building on technical excellence with a blend of tenacity, communication, resilience, curiosity, adaptability, and self-awareness. This mindset, he suggests, allows lawyers to act as “trusted advisors” on a range of issues, which he believes is key in today’s fast-evolving legal landscape.
“Founder personality brings together different skills and capabilities,” he explains. “It’s about building these varied skills — curiosity, adaptability, resilience, and so on — rather than just focusing on the more traditional lawyer attributes.”
Further emphasising his advice to budding lawyers, he discusses the importance of becoming an “O-shaped” professional, well-rounded and equipped with a diverse range of skills. “Often, we’re the first person our clients turn to when they have a problem, whatever that problem might be,” he explains. Being able to offer thoughtful, multidisciplinary guidance is part of what he considers a critical skill for future lawyers.
Ending our conversation, Amato-Cravero reflects on the recent proposed merger with Kramer Levin, describing it as an exciting development aligned with HSF’s ambitions in the technology space. “It’s really exciting to see that potential US element coming in, given emerging technologies are so prevalent out there,” he says. The expanded reach will enhance HSF’s capacity to provide innovative legal advice and solutions across a broader geographic footprint.
In a world where technology law continues to evolve rapidly, Amato-Cravero is motivated by the opportunity to help steer both HSF and the industry forward. His role, as he describes it, combines strategic oversight with hands-on involvement in client matters, offering “the freedom to think creatively and to find solutions to challenging problems.” It’s a unique position, he reflects, that allows him to impact not only the firm’s trajectory but also the legal profession’s adaptation to an increasingly digital and complex landscape.
Alexander Amato-Cravero will be speaking at ‘AI and digital legal delivery — with Herbert Smith Freehills’, a virtual student event taking place on Thursday 21 November. Apply now to attend.
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