Legal businesses at the crossroads

Many ‘traditional’ law firms need to change their business model if they’re to be at all competitive during the economic downturn, says consultant Ashley Balls, principal of Legal Best Practice.

Mr Balls makes the point that law is a business, lawyers, are not ‘different’ and need to ask repeatedly: what service aspects can be delivered more efficiently and for lower cost without compromising quality?

He says clients are now in the box seat and will demand more for less.

“Investment in IT is part of the solution, not a panacea. Email, the Internet, work-flow tools and automatic document assembly is not the end of the IT journey – it is the beginning.

“Failure to commoditise legal services wherever possible is an insult to clients who are already very familiar with computers and the Internet.”

Mr Balls says outsourcing is not innovation, it is a lifeline and questions the necessity of having expensive, grand offices when support personnel can be located remotely.

He says time and cost-based charging is finished – clients want fixed or annual fees and firms must change their billing practices to accommodate this need.

Mr Balls will elaborate on these issues in an address titled the Future of Law Firms at the 2nd Annual Legal IT Forum in Sydney on 1-2 April 2009.

International speakers include Neil Cameron, Principal of Neil Cameron Consulting (UK), who will discuss the use of technology to improve margins; Janet Day, CIO of Berwin Leighton Paisner (UK), who will give a UK focus on managing partners in lean times; and ILTA President Joy Heath-Rush, who is Enterprise End User Services Director for U.S.-based Sidley Austin LLP.

There will also be panel sessions featuring representatives of Blake Dawson, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Deloitte Digital and international firms.

www.iir.com.au/legalit

To arrange a media pass, request more information or arrange speaker interviews please contact:

Nigel Dique
Informa-IIR 02 9080 4108; 0423 024 819; nigel.dique@informa.com.au

Take action to counter Attention Deficit Trait

Do you feel like you’re working longer, hurrying faster, sleeping and exercising less, jumping from one phone call to another and at the same time writing and emailing?

If the answer is ‘yes’, you might well have Attention Deficit Trait, says Helen Tribe, communications trainer.

“With constant intrusions and disruptions in our daily lives, we are all finding our thoughts are distracted,” she says.

“It is hard to make decisions, we feel panicky, fidgety, guzzle too much coffee and, even though we are working flat out, we still don’t feel on top.”

Attention Deficit Trait, identified by psychiatrist Dr Edward Hallowell, is a work-induced attention deficit disorder.

Ms Tribe, who will be presenting at the Brisbane EA PA Congress in August, says there is good news for sufferers. The destructive impact of Attention Deficit Trait in the workplace can be counteracted.

At the EA PA Congress she will discuss communications strategies to enhance communications performance in all areas of life, and increase personal power.

She will also conduct an interactive workshop on networking.

“Handing out lots of cards does not mean you have networked,” she says. “It just means you have handed out lots of cards.

“Networking is an invaluable interpersonal skill, and it enhances business performance and career prospects.”

At Ms Tribe’s workshop, participants will learn to create mutually beneficial relationships easily and have fun at the same time.

The EA PA Congress will be held the Brisbane Marriott Hotel on 25-26 August. Further information: www.iir.com.au/eapabrisbane