Innovating for competitive advantage in the legal profession

Innovation. How to go about it, what it can do for your business - what even is it? Can innovation be applied in the legal environment? Such is the interest and appetite for legal innovation that, in the last 18 months, ARK has published over a dozen titles with innovation in their remit, covering everything from knowledge management to pricing, from marketing to recruitment, and everything in between. This compilation deep-dives into the key areas that drive innovation forward in the legal profession, combining the views and experiences of 14 leaders in their fields.

Auteur

DUNCAN HART Duncan Hart practiced as a barrister and solicitor for over 20 years before becoming the regional managing director of one of Australasia's largest firms with over 2,000 employees. He became a full-time consultant in 2002. His various consultancies have taken him from Silicon Valley to Shanghai, and his clients include not only law firms, but a wide cross-section of industry groups, including manufacturing, health, education, and IT. Duncan's first book, The Strategic Law Firm (Ark Group, 2010), argued the case for a more strategic approach to law firm management, and in particular the adoption of the types of strategic planning tools and methodologies that he had seen in operation in many of his clients' industry sectors. More recently, his background in intellectual property has led him to explore more closely the role of disruptive technologies and business models in various sectors, including law, patent attorney, and other professions. Many of his recent assignments involve the so-called "start-up" sector, and larger more mature industries where clients are seeking to develop innovation-based strategies in fields as diverse as bio-tech and logistics. In all his assignments, Duncan draws from a rich palette of industry and professional experience, and he is committed to the belief that law firms, like any other business, have much to learn from other sectors, particularly in the area of innovation-based strategy. In short, they should be encouraged to experiment to find new, and hopefully better, solutions for both the firm and their clients. Duncan can be contacted via email at www.duncanhartconsulting.com. MARKUS HARTUNG Markus Hartung is a lawyer and mediator. He is director of the Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession (CLP) at Bucerius Law School, Hamburg. His expertise in the framework of the CLP lies in market development and trends, management and strategic leadership, as well as corporate governance of law firms and business models of law firms with regard to digitalisation of the legal market. He is chair of the committee on professional regulation of the German Bar Association (DAV). As a lawyer he focuses on conflict management, regulatory matters and professional indemnity issues. In addition, he advises law firms in strategy and management questions and coaches partners in management xvi About the authors functions. He is a regular lecturer and conference-speaker on leadership, management topics, and professional ethics and has written numerous articles and book chapters on these topics. He is co-editor and author of Wegerich/Hartung: Der Rechtsmarkt in Deutschland (The Legal Market in Germany) which came to the market in early 2014 and has developed into a standard reference for the German legal market. He is also co-author of How Legal Technology Will Change the Business of Law, a joint study of The Boston Consulting Group and the Bucerius Law School. His recently published book Legal Tech. Die Digitalisierung des Rechtsmarkts is the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of legal technology on the legal profession in German speaking countries. ARNE GAERTNER Dr Arne Gartner is a senior legal project manager at Linklaters. As manager of the firm's German Business Improvement team, he is also generally responsible for Legal Project Management (LPM) and Legal Technology (LT) in Germany. In his role as a senior LPM he supports the practice in the management of large and complex matters and advises on the use of technology for handling such transactions. Furthermore, Arne is a member of the global Innovation and Efficiency working group of Linklaters and responsible for Innovation and Efficiency in Germany. Arne studied Business Administration at the University of Potsdam and Mediation at the European University of Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). He also holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Potsdam. In addition, he is an IPMA (International Project Management Association) certified Project Management Associate and Fellow of the Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession where he worked as a Research Assistant from 2012 till 2015. DEEPA THARMARAJ Deepa Tharmaraj is a legal director for Dell for Middle East and Turkey, a leading consumer and enterprise technology solutions provider. In this role, with senior level experience, she leads legal support for the business, ensuring cost effective and practical legal solutions across different functions and business units. She also serves as the global lead of the "Mosaic" Employee Resource Group at Dell, an organization that is dedicated to increasing awareness and development of culturally intelligent talent, with a focus on community involvement to grow initiatives focused on marginalized communities. Prior to this role, Deepa was a senior legal counsel at British Telecoms in London and was involved in roles connected to intellectual property, technology transfer and IP product development and procurement. She also supports the Association of Corporate Counsel (GCC chapter) and sits on various judging panels for innovation awards. Deepa speaks and writes about innovation, including mentoring and encouraging the next generation lawyers, to improve their ability to optimize their innovative attributes. In her free time, she is engaged in various initiatives to mentor and coach the under-privileged. ADAM BILLING Adam Billing is the founder of Treehouse Innovation (www.treehouseinnovation.com). He works with leading corporate and professional service organisations, helping them to develop new products, services, and strategy, and to build their own internal innovative capacity. ABIGAIL HUNT Abigail Hunt is the founder of Abigail Hunt Consulting (www.abigailhunt.com). She works with leading corporate and professional service organisations, helping them to develop new products, services, and strategy, and to build their own internal innovative capacity. CHRIS HOWE Chris Howe is a director of Raedbora Consulting. In his consulting role he advises legal clients on pricing and practice management (including restructuring and day-to-day performance improvement). He also advises buyers of legal services on legal procurement reviews. Chris's clients include top 20 international law firms as well as FTSE 100 businesses. For ten years he was a director of a UK top 20 law firm where he was head of pricing and conducted innovative research into pricing with Cranfield School of Management. He also has 10 years' consulting experience with PwC, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte. Chris is an international speaker and author on pricing and professional services. MARK GOULD Mark Gould is the founder of Mark Gould Consulting, a business focused on helping law firms use their knowledge more productively. He works with firms of all sizes, helping them to stand out in their markets by acting as a catalyst for improvement, combining his understanding of xv Innovating for competitive advantage in the legal profession the legal sector with the firm's deep knowledge. He was head of knowledge management at Addleshaw Goddard LLP between 2006 and 2014, and a PSL at the same firm from 2001. Prior to that, he spent 13 years teaching law at the University of Bristol. STEPHEN POOR J Stephen Poor is chair emeritus of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He served as chair of the firm from 2001-16, leading the transformation of Seyfa…