Remaking the law firm ecosystem

As much as talk in legal and broader commerce overall these days centres on David v. Goliath or even the clash of the titans (think BigLaw), there’s a very faulty set of assumptions around this type of thinking. Taking the view that it’s us versus them unduly limits the possibilities not just for better delivery of current services but also the creation of new forms of value in the best interests of the ultimate client. An ecosystem approach with some level of coordination among many contributors provides the best and most interesting outcomes. It’s also a key driver of innovation.

The firm of the future is in fact the firm of now

The evidence has been collected. 

The submissions have been heard. 

Judgment has been handed down – the incumbent law firm business model is broken.

How to get the best of all world’s in a legal services business model

Zico is demonstrating how to get the best of all worlds in a legal services business model. The only surprise is there’s not a good deal more interest in what Chew Seng Kok and his colleagues are doing. Here’s why.

Has the juice been squeezed from BigLaw’s business model?

Central to the profitability of the ‘BigLaw’ business model is how rainmaking equity partners, i.e. the owners, win work for the firm and enlist other fee-earners to do the bulk of this work. Since the 1950s, this model has been hugely successful, both in serving clients and making a great deal of money for owners. However, the capacity to exploit this business model has a ceiling; and this appears to be fast approaching.

Remaking Law Firms: Shared lessons for BigLaw firms and taxis

What shared lessons are BigLaw firms and taxis learning? sets the scene for Remaking Law Firms, to be published by the American Bar Association in March 2016.

It is a rhetorical question, intended to draw the attention of BigLaw firms to a truly insightful article titled What is Disruptive Innovation? by Clayton Christensen and colleagues in Harvard Business Review, December 2015.