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outdated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.”