a survival guide for legal practice managers.

Society’s expectations are shifting the sands of the business world — sweeping the legal world with it. Successful legal firms are increasingly operating more like ‘start up businesses’ — changing everything from what they call themselves to how they deliver their services. What’s also changing are the rules of engagement which mean transparent behaviours, open attitudes and collaborative team behaviours is the new norm. It’s a game changer.

All of a sudden the words “personal brand” are everywhere. In the legal profession, what does it all really mean?

On the heels of a number of high-profile data breaches in 2018 and the introduction of GDPR, cybersecurity is front of mind for many businesses. But what can you do about it? How can you protect yourself and your firm against cyber fraud in an age where hackers are becoming increasingly more sophisticated?

The tendency over the last decade has been for firms to focus on major transformation and innovation programmes to drive change. Some of these, especially at larger firms, have had some success but at tremendous cost in time, effort and (often) consulting fees.   More often, though, the most successful and transformative changes have been simple, straightforward, unglamorous and, primarily, unheralded.

It seems like every other month, another headline screams “X law firm ditches annual appraisals”. For many this is welcome news. Just the word “appraisal” implies a one-way conversation, of the command and control era – the unnecessary admin and anxiety that go along with your ‘moment in the sun’. Their shortcomings are well known too: many appraisals are infrequent, overly retrospective and ratings-focussed.

Four distinct market trends have driven the need for strengthening relationships with current clients and expanding wallet share of their total spend.

Do the leaders and managers in your firm or practice see themselves as coaches? Here are five strategies to help you make the case for coaching and help your managers improve their coaching abilities. 

It has now been almost four years since I stood at a multi-function printer overlooking the Brisbane River at about 7pm, running off several copies of a brief to Counsel. It was most certainly not my first, but it definitely was my last!

Whether your firm is a large legal organisation or a small practice, there is no escaping documentation. It permeates through all aspects of a legal firm - from case matters and general communication to IT, marketing, resources and finance. What’s more, the constant ebb and flow of document creation is usually time consuming and costly. But technology can ease much of the documentation pain.