Susskind to hold court at World Masters seminar

Richard Susskind OBE is the man who provocatively questioned the future of legal services models and the legal profession in his bestselling book The End of Lawyers? – and now he will be revealing his latest ideas on law firm management to attendees at a Sydney conference in March.

The internationally renowned British author and advisor to professional services firms and national governments will lead an outstanding line-up of speakers at the World Masters of Law Firm Management conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney on 12 March 2015. ‘Improving client value in the new law paradigm’ is the theme of the conference, a topic with which Susskind is well acquainted. In his books, articles and lectures, he relates how technology, disaggregation, commoditisation and liberalisation, among other forces, are changing the rules by which legal services are bought and sold. He also tackles the ‘more for less’ challenge whereby law firms are being asked to deliver evermore legal services at a lower cost. To do so, he argues, they must become more efficient or face an uncertain future.

The highly regarded World Masters series showcases the knowledge and expertise of world-acclaimed law firm management experts. The one-day seminar attracts CEOs, chief financial officers, practice managers, managing partners and other executives from legal and professional service firms. At this year’s conference, Susskind will open proceedings via video link with his views on the mindset that law firm leaders will need if they are to be successful in the future. He will then analyse and assess issues such as drivers of change in law firms; the shift from bespoke work to commoditisation; the ‘decomposing’ and multi-sourcing of legal work; how to price differently; emerging technologies; and the scope of disruptive legal technologies.

After Susskind’s presentation, other experts will outline practical strategies to address some of the modern challenges facing firms, especially around pricing:
• Jasper Consulting director Colin Jasper and Allens’ chief pricing and practice officer Pier D’Angelo will explore how firms justify their fees in a highly competitive market and ways to encourage creation of value for clients.
• Pam Woldow, principal and general counsel at global legal consulting firm Edge International, will target project management issues and the use of technology to drive innovation and greater efficiency.
• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank head of group legal Maria Polczynski will reflect on the lessons she has learnt concerning legal services delivery through her organisation’s drive for continuous improvement. A panel discussion, chaired by Baker & McKenzie national managing partner Chris Freeland, will follow.

Previous World Masters presenters have included David Maister, Thomas DeLong, Ron Baker, Ed Weissman, Stephen Mayson, Gerry Riskin and Ashish Nanda, all of whom are highly regarded international leaders in their fields. World Masters organising committee chair, John O’Callaghan, says this year’s event shapes as one of the best yet. With Susskind’s revelatory thoughts on law firm challenges being complemented by the other experts’ views, it will be an important event for all law firm leaders and managers. “Our emphasis at World Masters is on giving attendees access to world-renowned law management experts and key, practical lessons and strategies that they can take back to their own firms,” O’Callaghan says.

Susskind, who has delivered presentations in more than 40 countries, promises to be thought-provoking, as always. In his 2008 book The End of Lawyers? Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services, he controversially forecast the inevitable ‘decomposition’, or disaggregation, of legal work in a world where pricing strategy would be king. Legal firms are dealing with that reality today. World Masters 2015 attendees will have the chance to quiz Susskind on a range of topics, including his latest book, Tomorrow’s Lawyers, in which he argues that legal institutions and lawyers are poised to change “more radically over the next two decades than they have over the last two centuries”. He anticipates a world of virtual courts, internet-based global legal businesses, online document production, commoditised service, legal process outsourcing and web-based simulated practice. In this new legal terrain, pressure will be on lawyers and law firms to meet client needs and deliver more value than ever before. Attendees at World Masters can claim one CLE unit per hour in practice management-business skills.

For more details on World Masters, click here.