A life in politics – the tricky art for law firm leaders of governing the ungovernable

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A life in politics – the tricky art for law firm leaders of governing the ungovernable

Laura Empson reflects on the confidence trick required of successful law firm leaders

Leaders, by definition, must have followers. This statement is axiomatic. But among lawyers it is not nearly as simple as that. In firms filled with highly-educated, independent thinkers, who do not like being told what to do, finding people who think of themselves as followers is not easy. And finding people who are happy to put themselves forward as leaders can be even harder. Continue reading “A life in politics – the tricky art for law firm leaders of governing the ungovernable”

Any conversation is potentially significant – the emerging skills that will equip the best lawyers of the future

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Any conversation is potentially significant – the emerging skills that will equip the best lawyers of the future

David Morley reflects on the impact of communication in professional services and opportunities for lawyers to improve

My guess is that a law firm partner or general counsel might have the opportunity for around 100 high-value conversations every year in their professional life. That is 100 out of the roughly 10,000 conversations the average adult will have each year. What do I mean by high value? A career-enhancing conversation that transforms a situation or a relationship for the better. It might be with a client, a fellow partner, an associate or someone else. Continue reading “Any conversation is potentially significant – the emerging skills that will equip the best lawyers of the future”

Comment: What’s the point of Baker McKenzie? (And does Paul Rawlinson have an answer?)

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Comment: What’s the point of Baker McKenzie? (And does Paul Rawlinson have an answer?)

Ever wonder what Baker McKenzie is waiting for? The firm once had a crystal clear market position as the only major commercial practice that got anywhere near being truly globalised. And while the sprawling nature of the network meant a 20-year battle to shrug off the franchise tag, Bakers has long achieved polished mid-market credibility in many key jurisdictions. While it was never a threat to the US and London elite, the logic for an emerging giant to handle the mid-stream work for global plcs speaks for itself. Yet Bakers has continually fallen short of its own rhetoric.

Having been an international trailblazer, growth has been pedestrian for a decade now and there is too little evidence of the oft-promised push up the value chain. Continue reading “Comment: What’s the point of Baker McKenzie? (And does Paul Rawlinson have an answer?)”

What’s the point of Baker McKenzie?

Posted on |
What’s the point of Baker McKenzie?

Ever wonder what Baker McKenzie is waiting for? The firm once had a crystal clear market position as the only major commercial practice that got anywhere near being truly globalised. And while the sprawling nature of the network meant a 20-year battle to shrug off the franchise tag, Bakers has long achieved polished mid-market credibility in many key jurisdictions. While it was never a threat to the US and London elite, the logic for an emerging giant to handle the mid-stream work for global plcs speaks for itself. Yet Bakers has continually fallen short of its own rhetoric.

Having been an international trailblazer, growth has been pedestrian for a decade now and there is too little evidence of the oft-promised push up the value chain. Continue reading “What’s the point of Baker McKenzie?”

Irresistible forces

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Irresistible forces

Alex Novarese, Legal Business: Looking at the top of the market, how is buying behaviour changing?

Donny Ching, Royal Dutch Shell: I see increasing sophistication in sourcing legal services. I am sure you all have experienced tenders and reverse tenders. More corporates are looking at using different tools, also driven by the contracting and procurement [C&P] organisation. Procuring legal services used to be the last bastion, where C&P could not touch. That is changing. We hired our own pricing analyst sourcing officer a couple of years ago. He has done phenomenal work and opened our eyes to what is possible. Continue reading “Irresistible forces”

A long time in politics

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A long time in politics

Oh for the days when politics was the last thing on the minds of City advisers. For years, British politics was an ignored backdrop for a legal profession used to a globalist, free-market agenda since the 1980s. How quaint such times seem in a national economy and City now overshadowed by Brexit and a convulsing political dynamic in a country once famed for stable one-party government.

Teaming up with NatWest, Legal Business gathered a group of senior City lawyers on the evening of the UK’s general election on 8 June to gauge what is on the agenda for the UK’s largest law firms. If nothing else it was striking how concerned – and disenchanted – City lawyers have become with the political classes and uncertainty… even speaking just hours before it became clear that the Conservative government was to lose its working majority. Continue reading “A long time in politics”

Clyde & Co’s Tait voted Scottish region head replacing legacy Simpson & Marwick’s Keyden

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Clyde & Co’s Tait voted Scottish region head replacing legacy Simpson & Marwick’s Keyden

Clyde & Co has chosen latent disease team head David Tait as its new Scotland managing partner, effective from today (1 June), replacing current managing partner and former Simpson & Marwick head Gordon Keyden.

Continue reading “Clyde & Co’s Tait voted Scottish region head replacing legacy Simpson & Marwick’s Keyden”

‘It’s good to talk’ – Linklaters repositions with focus on team work, innovation and a lot more soft stuff

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‘It’s good to talk’ – Linklaters repositions with focus on team work, innovation and a lot more soft stuff

Matthew Field meets Linklaters leadership as City giant outlines a much-changed agenda

For observers familiar with the legacy of former Linklaters chief Tony Angel, the rhetoric coming out of Silk Street right now could not be more of a break from the past.

Continue reading “‘It’s good to talk’ – Linklaters repositions with focus on team work, innovation and a lot more soft stuff”