The ALSP industry has made dramatic progress in the past two years with growth led by the Big Four Accounting firms, Captive LPOs, Independent LPOs, Managed services providers and contract staffing services.
Read MoreWe all need a break and this is the time of year to take it. Just remember, while you’re away, not everyone will be. That brings me to your ‘out of office', or at least how to write one. And it goes a little something like this.
Read More
What do Australia’s leading General Counsel really look like? Well, they’re most likely to be based in Sydney, have worked for a top-tier firm, experts in the finance sector and - perhaps most importantly - female
Read MoreWant to know how to go from easy-beats to all-conquering? Find out the 6 lessons the Richmond Tigers have for all professional services firms.
Read MoreThere are lessons in the Banking Royal Commission for all professional services firms. Here are four that I think we all need to know.
Read MoreOne of the benefits of writing an article at the end of the year is the opportunity to look over what has happened in the past 12 months and make some predictions of which trends will continue into the new year – hence the snappy title of this article.
Read MoreCompanies are increasingly circumventing lawyers to seek direct advice from a barrister in a squeeze on legal costs, according to a survey showing at least half of the New South Wales bar's clients use barristers exclusively or most of the time and direct briefing is up almost a third in three years.
Read More
How often are we told that the billable hour has had its day? That it’s archaic, that it’s inefficient, that it makes our clients angry and holds our practices back?
Read MoreA little while back I wrote an article cautioning law firms about the perils of playing in the ‘mushy middle’. I pointed out that this was the most competitive - and most vulnerable - part of the legal services market where fees are under the greatest threat. It’s also the part where it’s becoming hardest to make a decent living.
Read More“It feels like common sense to play to the center of the market, but actually the middle is least desirable place to be.”
Read More
In May, I joined Lynette Nixon Innovation Director at PWC to address the CXPS: Client Experience in Professional Services Conference. Together, we spoke on ‘Building client journey maps to drive action and deliver smart revenue’.
Read More
If, like me, you believe that the essence of good client service is knowing your client, The Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist for Australia and New Zealand should make for a fascinating read.
Read More
Many in-house legal teams adopt the view that they’re a law firm with the business as their sole client. I disagree with this approach entirely. Taking an ‘us and them’ stance reduces lawyers to a ‘check’ on strategy rather than being part of the strategic team.
Read MoreThe recent report Australia: State of the Legal Market 2015 revealed just how much the legal market has changed over the past 10 years. What I’m interested in is what this change means for law firms hoping for a future.
Read MoreGiven the many changes to the legal industry in recent years, it's become somewhat fashionable to question the business savvy of the people leading traditional law firms. But my experience is that this thinking misses the point - at least in the main.
Read More
“Get your Firm’s practice managers, finance and marketing specialists to work together so that pricing models and service align with your marketing and positioning messages.” This tip and 27 more from the client-side.
Read More
In today's AFR I was asked my opinion about the future of Australia's insurance practices. The article came in the wake of many high profile members of Sparke Helmore's insurance team defecting to Hall & Wilcox.
Read MoreI’m very pleased to have been invited to join the editorial board of the US-based Legal Sales and Service Organization.
Read MoreIn 2015, I'll again be facilitating the strategy and business planning sessions as part of the College Of Law's Legal Practice Management program.
Read MoreWithout giving too much away, my view is that the climate is getting more competitive for legal and accounting firms and business development needs to get smarter - much smarter.
Read More