Leadership for Law Firms .pdf

Leadership for Law Firms
After the Legal Services Act
Patricia Wheatley Burt
Trafalgar – The People Business Limited
With the full implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA) in 2011, the
relevance of leadership in law firms assumes a new importance.
Managing
Partners /CEOs (and those new to the post) will be faced with huge choices about
how to direct and lead their firms as well as decisions that may ultimately affect
their survival. These challenges come not just from the impact of the LSA, the
global economy in 2010, the rate increases in Professional Indemnity Insurance,
changes in legal aid funding but fundamentally from changes in client expectation.
Leadership for Law Firms asked the key question: Can Lawyers Be Lead? It
contains integrated research and anecdotal findings from over 70 interviews with
Managing Partners, CEOs and other experts. The report offers practical guidance
on the particular challenges faced by contemporary law firm leaders and how they
will create a legacy for those who follow in their footsteps. The report discusses:
the definition of leadership and how it differs from management
what firms need from a leader, and the qualities a leader should offer
matching the leader to the firm’s strategic needs and partner following
how decision-making structures enable or inhibit innovative leadership
career leadership – the importance of succession planning in and out of the
Managing Partner role.
Offering invaluable advice for every law firm from the established to those new to
the market, Leadership for Law Firms offers practical guidance on all aspects of
leadership based on extensive original research.
About the author:
Patricia Wheatley Burt has over 20 years’ experience as a management
consultant specialising in the legal and professional sectors. As a director of
Trafalgar – the People Business Limited, Patricia and the Trafalgar team provide
pragmatic, strategic business management consultancy and coaching including
leadership and management. She has written many articles and two books both
available form Trafalgar: The Role of the Managing Partner (2007) and
Profitable Performance Management (2006).
Contents:
1. Leadership in law firms - is now the time?; 2. leadership or management role?;
3. Leadership and current structures;
4. Leadership structures for the future
5. Right time - right leader;
6.Getting followers on-board;
7. Behaviours and key traits for leaders;
8. Career leaders – as MP/CEO;
9.Sprucing up leaders and successors;
10. Change or do nothing.
www.trafalgarpeople.com
Trafalgar – The People Business Limited,
3,24 Onslow Square, London SW7 3NS
+44 (0)20 7565 7547

patricia@trafalgarpeople.com

How to order your copy:
To order our copy please email us:
Bianca@trafalgarpeople.com or telephone: +44 (0)20 7565 7547 and we will raise a pro forma invoice.
978 1 85328 697 1 December 2010 128 pages Paperback £99.00 – less 10% + p+p @(Code 2/2010)