Law Management Section chair Ann Harrison looks back at the past year, including her personal highlight: judging the Practice Manager of the Year award at the Law Society Excellence Awards
Welcome all to the January edition of Managing for Success. I hope that you all had a good break over Christmas, and I wish everyone a prosperous and peaceful new year.
In the midst of all the work pressures, life-planning and present-buying which go on at the end of the year, I try to find time to look back on the year gone, and plan for the year ahead.
One of my 2019 highlights was being asked to be one of the judges for the Practice Manager of the Year award at the Law Society Excellence Awards. It was encouraging and inspiring to read the submissions for this award, and see the work being done by managers to grow and improve their firms. The winner was Joanne Dalton from Liverpool-based MSB Solicitors. Joanne impressed me and the other judges by the contribution she has made to her firm. As the firm’s first non-lawyer partner, she has played a key role in transforming MSB into a very progressive practice. Her dedication and work have been integral to building the firm into a successful, 15-partner, Legal 500, award-winning firm.
No matter what size or shape your business takes, good, solid management skills are vital to deliver excellent client services
My reward for being a judge was to be invited to the glittering awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, in October. Almost 1,000 people attended the evening, to see the 23 awards handed out and to celebrate excellence in our profession. Listening to the different awards categories made me think about how much hard work and effort our profession puts in to running our firms and to servicing the needs of our clients. Every shape and size of firm works to provide the very best of service to clients, ranging from blue chip PLCs to the most vulnerable people in our society. We are a very diverse profession, representing an even more diverse client base. One thing is increasingly clear: no matter what size or shape your business takes, good, solid management skills are vital to deliver excellent client services.
I came away from the awards ceremony feeling very proud to be part of such a talented and diverse profession!
As we move into 2020, change is upon us, with a new government in place and the new SRA Standards and Regulations bedding in. We face many challenges politically and economically and our management focus must be on how we can steer our firms to adapt to new situations, including disruptors to our marketplace. The Law Management Section has a couple of dates for your diary: our People in Practice Conference on 4 March 2020 and our Annual Conference on 19 May 2020, both at Chancery Lane in London. Both events are intended to challenge and inspire you, with thought-provoking sessions from industry experts. I hope to see you there!
