if I was CEO of a law firm this is what I would do ......

What do Riverview law, Slater and Gordon, Knights, Fairport group PLC, Parabis group and Keystone Law have in common? They are all legal services providers and are competing in the legal market with traditional law firms.

Over 60% of new legal services providers in the market have abandoned the partnership structure and they do things differently. They recognise that the market is driven by buyers and the business must be organised around the clients and focused on delivering value.

So that’s why if I was CEO of a law firm in today’s market this is what I’d do to make sure we focused on clients, created value for our clients and maximised profitability.

• Align the business and organise resources round clients and markets, not practice groups
• Institutionalise the firm's major clients
• Change the model for client development and winning business and have it led by sales professionals
• Introduce robust processes to measure and manage sales – use the “S” word!!
• Align reward & remuneration with what people are asked to do
• Ensure rigorous performance management, to reward over performance and manage underperformance
• Drive operational efficiencies including investment in technology, project management and LPO
• Ensure accurate time recording, reduce WIP and optimise time recovery

...... And finally. Recognise this will involve business transformation and cultural change, so set realistic goals but not allow the partnership model to be a barrier to progress.