Latest news – Profit-growth fears for law firms; Small firms dream big on tech; In-house ethical conundrum

Fall in business confidence hits profit-growth hopes The profit-growth expectations of Australian law firms have fallen, according to the 2019 CommBank Legal Market Pulse report. In its November report, CommBank notes that business confidence has dropped from its 2018 peak and, as part of their response, law firms are making a continued push into non-legal […]

Q&A: John Nerurker – “The better the quality of your people, the better placed the firm will be to respond to any form of disruption”

In the second installment of a two-part Q&A, Mills Oakley CEO John Nerurker explains his belief that national firms have an edge over multinational counterparts; why being the cheapest firm does not necessarily represent value for clients; and how his firm’s model outperforms a lockstep model.   Mills Oakley has a national presence only at […]

Q&A: John Nerurker: “We don’t want to create an environment where partners are competing against each other in an ‘eat what you kill’ environment”

In the first installment of a two-part Q&A, Mills Oakley CEO John Nerurker explains how a distinctive, collaborative approach has underpinned his firm’s transformation into one of Australia’s largest law firms. He also explains why transparency and fairness are the rationale behind the firm’s mantra of ‘rewards follow performance.’ Mills Oakley has been in business […]

It’s time to talk – re-personalizing law firm culture

Rather than focusing on how to eject under-performing partners from a firm, the onus on true leaders is to ascertain why the partners are struggling and how to rectify the situation, writes Jordan Furlong. I was contacted the other day by someone who had run into a challenge while drafting a partnership agreement for their […]

Q&A: Simon Marmot: “Make your (marketing) story a human one, rather than a corporate one”

In our Q&A, Simon Marmot, strategy director at design and digital marketing agency Marmot Inc. Marketing, explains why law firms need to consider implementing a digital marketing strategy; the secret to content creation; and how to avoid wasting money on campaigns. Some law firms seem to be wary of marketing generally, and digital marketing especially. […]

Is your legal practice feeling uncomfortable? Well, get used to it

In the face of innovative technology platforms that will redefine the way legal services are provided, law firms must not make the same mistake as big banks and abandon the advantages that trusted relationships have long delivered, writes Trish Carroll. In today’s world of disruption, get comfortable being uncomfortable. That was the headline of a […]

Latest news – SMEs choosy with law firms; Queensland barrister recognised; Lawyer satisfaction levels slump

One in three SMEs happy to ditch lawyer More than a third of Australian small and medium-sized businesses are willing to seek the advice of a different legal adviser, according to NAB’s inaugural Australian Legal Services Industry Survey. The survey notes that SMEs rely on and value their current lawyers, but nevertheless they are quite […]

Latest news – ‘Freewheeling’ managers flunk hiring test; Spotlight on national security laws; MinterEllison tops ‘attractiveness’ rankings

Lack of management structure hurts hiring outcomes A “freewheeling” approach to management is likely to result in poorer hiring and firing results, according to new research from MIT Sloan. In a paper, entitled Building a Productive Workforce: The Role of Structured Management, the researchers consider how personnel-management practices relate to HR outcomes and workforce productivity. […]

How to become, and remain, a small law firm employer of choice

While smaller law firms often bemoan their inability to recruit the sort of elite talent they desire, they actually have a rare opportunity to turn this around if they pursue smart strategies, writes Rob Knowsley. I recently set aside some quality time to write this fifth article in my series* for ALMJ and had been […]

Cyber threats a unique form of professional risk for lawyers

With law firms facing unprecedented risks because of cyber fraud and the online theft of confidential information, lawyers must take action to safeguard information security and live up to their duty of confidentiality, writes Simone Herbert-Lowe.  Cybercrime is challenging organisations everywhere, with daily news stories about businesses, government organisations and even global IT companies that […]