Looking Ahead to 2022
Each year we look ahead and make predictions for the coming year. The last two years have been unpredictable in almost every way, but clearly demonstrated the resilience of the legal industry.
Enemies of Agility
Over the past several years, we have seen a growing gap between the highest performing firms and the rest of the market. In working with and observing law firms across market segments and jurisdictions, we see clear differences in how firms respond to market changes. The most agile firms benefit from a strategic advantage based on their ability to respond to change and capitalize on opportunities more effectively. This agility frequently drives superior performance relative to the rest of the market. By contrast, firms lacking agility seem to fall behind, whether through inertia or because their focus is elsewhere.
Gearing Up for Growth
As we enter the second quarter of 2021, the picture looks fairly rosy for many law firms. Preliminary signs point to the potential for another growth year in terms of demand across a number of practice areas. Signs of increased demand, combined with strong 2020 financial performance, indicate that some firms are poised for material revenue and profit growth and the potential to leapfrog competitors over the coming years.
Myths of Client Succession
Succession of client relationships is a top-of-mind issue for many law firm leaders. Yet it remains a challenge for leaders to make meaningful progress, often because partners resist succession efforts. In some cases the resistance is for legitimate reasons, but in other instances it is based on myths. Our work with law firms and our interviews with the clients of law firms highlight many of these illusions.
Is Your Firm Leveraging Its Leverage?
Declining leverage is not a new problem for law firms. Over the past 10+ years, partner leverage has declined, and many firms have gradually, and sometimes unintentionally, shifted to a partner-heavy model. With the advance of non-traditional providers who often have a highly leveraged model, and intensifying client pressure for firms to improve efficiency, the time is ripe for firms to rethink and better organize their leverage model.
