Comment
Springing into action
Section chair Robert Banner outlines the recent work of the committee
Features
Under control?
Do you know that your law firm is a data controller under the new General Data Protection Regulation, and you must comply with them, or face fines of up to €20m or four per cent of your annual global turnover? Owen O’Rorke provides a beginner’s guide to compliance
Piece of cake
Many law firms focus far more on winning new clients – getting a bigger slice of the cake – than getting new business from existing clients – baking a bigger cake. Joe Reevy explains how to use customer relationship management to build an effective cross-selling process for your firm
Order order
Having the SRA arriving at your firm with a production order requiring you and your firm to deliver documents to it is a daunting experience. Paul Bennett outlines how to get your firm ready for investigation in case it should happen
Upwards and onwards
Much is written about influencing others, but usually in relation to our team members, clients or peers. Less is written about influencing up: an essential skill for our own career development. Mike Scott outlines four simple tips
Game plan
Do you want to improve efficiency, be seen as more professional by clients, and effectively deal with peaks in workload? Project management can help. In the first of a series, Debbie Bondi makes the case for legal project management, and explains how it works in practice.
To the purpose
Do you know what your firm’s purpose is? How about your own? Do they match? Could your or your firm’s purpose be holding you back? Barry Wilkinson argues for the central role of purpose in competing, and ensuring your survival, in the current marketplace
King of the hill
North-west firm Hillyer McKeown has recently seen substantial growth in both its core legal services and its portfolio of non-legal diversified services, which include a marketing company and a management consultancy. Duncan Wood speaks to managing partner Steve Harvey
Give to receive
If lawyers assign legal work and the results don’t meet their expectations, they often blame the people they assigned it to. But, says Gary Richards, the issue often lies with how the work was assigned: the initial conversation and the process following it
Mind the gap
Many law firms are missing a trick by not having a strategy. And many which do are not effectively implementing their plans so they can grow and position themselves effectively. Diana Bentley investigates how firms can close the gap between strategy and implementation
Up close and personal
With fixed recoverable costs looming on the horizon, personal injury firms and departments must make a decision: adapt to survive, or stop practising in this volatile area. Zoe Holland looks at the options
Detective work
The recent high-profile case law around workers’ rights could have a direct impact on law firms which employ self-employed consultants or contractors. Alison Downie explains how to assess whether your consultants are workers, and what you need to do if they are