Managing Partner: Current Issue

Current issue

Volume 12 Issue 12

Editor's Letter: Playing to Strengths

Many would say that drive and determination to secure and retain work are vital characteristics of any law firm partner. But, with many type-A personalities rising through the ranks, HR directors have been trying to manage their lawyers’ more competitive tendencies by implementing partner behaviour assessment frameworks which emphasise collaboration.

While partners can generally get away with having sizeable egos and being sensitive to criticism – particularly those who have brought in substantial revenues – those who have climbed the ranks to managing partner have had to do some personality management.

As leaders of a diverse group of people, many managing partners have developed a whole new set of ‘soft’ skills revolving around communicating and consulting with key internal stakeholders. A key component of this is having a strong vision and doing what’s best for the firm, even if there are a few dissatisfied partners.

But, how far is an ‘attractive’ personality necessary to secure success in the job?

Clearly, managing partners need to be able to command respect from their troops. Those who have natural charm and charisma – together with the ability to genuinely consider the views of others before making a decision – may well find leadership to be a lot easier.

However, those partners who are outstanding in their particular area of expertise – but cannot tolerate dissent of any kind – will probably want to reconsider climbing up the next rung of the career ladder.

Wishing you just the right amount of sunshine this summer,

Manju Manglani

Editor

Features

Letter from America: Branching Out Free
Thomas Berman of Berman & Associates reveals the problems of building a regional office through lateral hires.

Cultural Shift Free
Can flexible working radically change the culture of late nights in the office? Richard Brent reports.

Case Study: To Boldly Grow This article is for subscribers only
Fasken Martineau’s managing partner, David Corbett, reflects on his decision to defy the downturn with a strategy of international expansion.

Roundtable: Legal Process Outsourcing This article is for subscribers only
Legal process outsourcing has become a popular way to manage costs and increase productivity. Managing Partner asks three innovative leaders to discuss their approach.

Comment: Leaving a Legacy This article is for registered users only
Beverly Weise, the president of Leadership Talent Solutions, suggests how to tackle the topic of retirement for senior partners.

Comment: Pricing Management This article is for subscribers only
Law firms are not giving enough priority to pricing strategies, suggests Michael Roch, the CEO of Kerma Partners.

Herding or Leading? This article is for subscribers only
With multiple personalities and professionals to engage in a persuasive vision, law firm leadership can be a sharp learning curve for the new managing partner who gets the calling. By Julious P Smith, Jr, chairman of Williams Mullen.

On the Money? This article is for subscribers only
Andrew Cheung, director of compliance at Denton Wilde Sapte, asks whether international anti-money laundering efforts are actually producing results.

Case Study: Recruiting for Diversity This article is for subscribers only
Graduate Recruitment Manager Edward Walker of Pinsent Masons reveals how the firm’s focus on diversity in student work placements has resulted in solid organic growth.

Masterclass: Driving Efficiency This article is for subscribers only
Faced with increasing client pressure on pricing, how should law firms be using their KM resources to manage transaction profitability? By Harriet Creamer, director at Outer Circle, and Chris Stoakes, director of knowledge, research and learning at Hogan Lovells.

Letter from America: Lateral Expansion (part 2) This article is for subscribers only
Thomas Berman, the principal of Berman & Associates, reveals the common pitfalls of hiring laterals for branch offices.

Letter from Asia: China - Battle for Talent This article is for subscribers only
PRC law firms are gearing up to become internationally competitive, says Robert Sawhney, the managing director of SRC Associates.

Masterclass: Adding Real Value This article is for subscribers only
What should law firms do to ensure their value-added services are competitive and support retention of key clients? Lance Sapsford, head of business development at Addleshaw Goddard, provides some pointers.

Masterclass: Leveraging LinkedIn This article is for subscribers only
A LinkedIn account can be a valuable tool for client development if carefully managed. By Nancy Roberts Linder of Nancy Roberts Linder Consulting.

Profile: Mark Dawkins This article is for subscribers only
What does it take to be the managing partner of one of the largest law firms in the world? Mark Dawkins of Simmons & Simmons talks with Manju Manglani about his strategies and successes.

CEE/SEE: Emerging Opportunities This article is for subscribers only
The energy and infrastructure sectors are set to heat up in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe, reveal partners Andreas Schmid and Dubravka Gruji of Wolf Theiss.

Roundtable: Secondments This article is for subscribers only
How do law firms and in-house legal teams tackle secondments? Three experts share their insights with Editor Manju Manglani at a managing partner roundtable.

Case Study: Cloud Covered This article is for subscribers only
Scott Moncrieff, Harbour & Sinclair’s practice manager, Helen Jones, discusses the virtual firm’s experiences in moving to a software as a service solution.

Transatlantic Privilege This article is for subscribers only
With transatlantic law firms increasingly combining forces and communicating electronically with global clients, Thomas E Spahn, a partner at McGuireWoods, reveals how to navigate the maze of legal privilege stances in the US and Europe.