You are only as good as your support staff

Saturday, 19 July 2008 8:15PM

You are only as good as your support staff

YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR SUPPORT STAFF

In the last 5-7 years there have been notable changes in the legal market, and in order to compete in this increasingly competitive world, law firms have been forced to review their management culture, and adopt a more commercially focused attitude towards running a business. The days when they could be 'a law unto themselves’ have long gone. To be commercially astute is as necessary as knowing the intricacies of the law.

At the heart of these changes, the balance of responsibility has shifted away from lawyers and onto professional business managers. As a general rule, good lawyers are good lawyers, but not necessarily good business managers.

Where does leadership come from?

There is therefore, pressure for law firms to renounce some antiquated traditions, and become more ‘commercially focused’. Where does this leadership come from? It is surely the responsibility of a finance director (FD), who will in turn report to the full board. An FD has the skills to build the successful, professional support function, which must lie at the heart of any healthy and progressive law firm.

In most articles, features and news items on the legal industry, we read about the latest round of partner promotions, big deals, PPP results, expensive office moves, mergers or acquisitions. This ongoing peacock display has one major function; to attract and recruit high calibre lawyers who will, in turn, attract high calibre business by providing the best possible service for clients.

If the key to developing a successful business is investing in clients by providing them with the highest levels of service and expertise externally, then the obvious route to success is to employ lawyers who can deliver these results. Hence the need to continually position the firm in such a way that it attracts top flight lawyers. The words dynamic, forward thinking and innovative have become watchwords in this evolving market.

Effective professional support team

Together with the need to provide the highest levels of service externally, comes the same imperative internally. Those who work at the client interface need the back up of an effective ‘professional support team’ if the commercial focus is to be enhanced. Recent years have given testimony to those law firms where this has happened, and top quality lawyers have been supported by high calibre professional support staff.

In this context the FD has the opportunity to drive the business from the bottom up, recruiting a professional support team that will deliver results internally to its lawyers, which is essential in today’s market. The opportunity to introduce working practices, business processes and a consultative approach based round sound financial management can also be factored in. This in turn has the potential to significantly add value to individual lawyers and the firm as a whole.

The role of the FD has evolved. Financial management and strategy now walk hand in hand with recruitment and retention. The parameters of responsibility and autonomy are not as clearly defined as in the ‘old days’ and the role of the FD has similarly had to develop in line with market pressures.

Not just a bean counter

No longer just the bean counter, the FD bears a high degree of responsibility for making the business model work, and what beats at the heart of this model, is a fully functioning and efficient professional support team.

Like all good leaders that deliver results, the FD must build a team that will support the firm and its lawyers in achieving its business goals. But as the market continues to develop and the demand in law firms to deliver greater results grows, the task of building a high calibre professional support team becomes ever more necessary.

The pressure faced by most FDs to deliver on a strategic level, naturally leads to the selection of managers to whom responsibility and autonomy can be delegated. This need to delegate responsibility can also be clearly tracked as you move towards the transactional staff such as Legal Cashiers, Billers and Revenue Controllers.