Robert Ambrogi Blog
Harbor, the Chicago-based legal technology and consulting firm, continues its string of recent acquisitions with the addition of Encoretech, a specialized training and user adoption services company focused on the legal sector.
The deal marks Harbor’s first acquisition since receiving a majority investment from private equity firm BayPine in June and represents the company’s sixth acquisition since its formation in 2023.
The acquisition addresses what both companies characterize as a critical gap in the legal industry: the persistence of outdated training methodologies in an era of rapidly evolving technology and artificial intelligence.
Related: LawNext: Harbor Global CEO Matt Sunderman On Driving Digital Transformation in Legal.
Encoretech brings approximately 80 professionals across the United States and Europe who specialize in helping law firms and corporate legal departments maximize their return on technology investments 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,” said 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 reflects a broader recognition within the legal technology sector that technology adoption — not just technology acquisition — determines the success or failure of digital transformation initiatives.
Despite law firms’ substantial investments in practice management systems, document management platforms, AI tools and other technologies, many struggle to achieve meaningful adoption among attorneys and staff who continue to rely on familiar, if less efficient, workflows.
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. The service encompasses new-hire onboarding, continuous learning through live and on-demand training, custom content development, and learning management system integration.
Encoretech works with Am Law 200 firms as well as corporate legal departments.
Aging Solutions for Modern Challenges
Jeffrey Roach, president of Encoretech, said that there is a 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,” he 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 has moved beyond basic document production tools to encompass 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 — a skill set that traditional one-time training sessions fail to develop.
Encoretech’s approach emphasizes ongoing skill development rather than one-off training events. Its methodology combines instructor-led training, individual coaching and a library of on-demand content designed for quick consumption.
The model reflects research showing that sustained, incremental learning produces better retention and behavior change than intensive but infrequent training sessions, the company says.
Building A Comprehensive Platform
The Encoretech acquisition fits within Harbor’s broader strategy of assembling capabilities across what it calls 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.
Encoretech represents Harbor’s sixth acquisition since the company’s formation through the 2023 merger of HBR Consulting, LAC Group and Wilson Allen. The company’s acquisition timeline demonstrates an aggressive growth strategy:
- October 2023: Acquired Stout’s legal management consulting practice, adding e-discovery advisory and corporate legal operations capabilities.
- February 2024: Acquired Pinnacle, a UK-based legal technology services provider, establishing 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 acquisition pattern suggests that, rather than focusing exclusively on software selection and implementation, Harbor is assembling services that address the full spectrum of technology-related challenges law firms face, from strategic planning through 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. The transaction followed three years of ownership by Renovus Capital Partners, which 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 said at the time of the BayPine investment.
“Applying advanced technologies and AI to business operations and legal workflows is game-changing, but the scope and scale of the transformation required to capitalize on the potential opportunities is significant.”
At the time of that investment, Sunderman said that the company planned to “expand its investment in the corporate legal market globally and advance new capabilities through acquisition or internal development.”
The Encoretech acquisition appears to demonstrate that strategy in action, adding capabilities that Harbor identified as strategic priorities rather than attempting to build them itself.
Encoretech Integration
The Encoretech team will join Harbor’s Legal Technology + Operations practice, which now encompasses more than 900 professionals globally serving over 80 percnet 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.”
For Roach, the Encoretech president who will continue in a leadership role at Harbor, the combination enables the company to expand its impact.
“Our team has made great strides in helping the legal sector rethink its approach to technology adoption,” he said. “Joining Harbor allows us to scale that work and reach more organizations ready to modernize the way their people learn and work.”