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International Edition

Tech tonic

It is a sign of the times that many of the issues legal IT professionals are grappling with are the same issues that are affecting lawyers. Whereas IT may have previously been viewed by fee earners as a back-office function, the strategic goals of IT and legal professionals have since become rather more entwined; both sides have a greater awareness of each other's role within the firm. In the words of Allen & Overy (A&O) managing partner David Morley: "pretty much everything we are doing now has a technology angle, but it is not always obvious."
11 minute read

International Edition

Prepare for the worst

Few law firm managers would place contingency planning at the top of their management agenda given the current economic climate. However, a number of factors suggest that the tide might be turning and less prosperous times could be on the horizon. It is therefore vital for firms to plan now for any future downturn to ensure they are in a strong position to ride out the storm.
7 minute read

International Edition

Brave new world

When it becomes law, the Legal Services Bill (LSB) will be a watershed moment for the legal industry. The legislation, which is currently with the House of Lords, promises to fundamentally alter the shape of the UK legal market. Firms of all sizes, and in particular the small to medium-sized section of the industry, need to be aware of the upheaval that is about to take place and get ready now.
7 minute read

International Edition

Fit for purpose

Mergers and acquisitions have always been big business opportunities for law firms, but now it seems that legal businesses are turning this attention on themselves. The drive towards creating a more corporate profession has led to a boom in law firm mergers, resulting in the creation of ever-larger practices. Recent announcements, such as Irwin Mitchell's plans to merge with Scots firm Golds to form a 1,200 fee earner superfirm, or south Yorkshire's Atteys' decision to join forces with local rival Richmonds, show that many believe big is beautiful.
7 minute read

International Edition

Corporate Counsel: More than just a lawyer

If you are going to be a successful in-house lawyer you have to see yourself as something different. Different from what, or from whom, you may well ask? The simple answer is that you have to see yourselves as business legal partners; not aloof or separate from the business that you work for but as an integral part of it - and that means having a different set of skills from lawyers in private practice.
6 minute read

International Edition

Corporate Counsel: Lead from the front

Early on in my new role, I asked our chief executive officer (CEO) what he saw as my number one priority. His response was: "The primary role of a leader is to attract truly great people and then develop the hell out of them. As a leader, the general counsel should be no exception."
4 minute read

International Edition

Law In Business: Management: Reflections for the future

The beginning of May marked the 10th anniversary of the merger that created CMS Cameron McKenna; or to be more accurate, Cameron McKenna - the CMS part came two years later, with the founding of the CMS alliance. May 1997 was also the month that the Labour Government came to power. This end of an era has encouraged politicians and commentators to reflect over the past 10 years and there is feverish speculation about what a Gordon Brown administration will achieve.
7 minute read

International Edition

Networks: Opportunity knocks

The rapid emergence of a new wave of highly-coveted emerging markets is providing contrasting challenges to the latest law firm networks. Ed Thornton reports
14 minute read

International Edition

Law Firm Networks: Going Global

International expansion may bring huge opportunities for a law firm, but it also brings risk. Sandra Neilson-Moore assesses the professional liability hazards of expanding a network overseas
11 minute read

International Edition

Management & IT: The evolution of outsourcing

Legal process outsourcing marks the latest in a long line of outsourcing developments. Margaret Lang examines this fast-moving market
7 minute read

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