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REPRO OP SHAKING UP

SUBS THE LEGAL PROFESSION ART Alexander Garrett investigates how project management is gaining a foothold in law firms, where legal project managers are becoming a PRODUCTION necessary part of the behind-the-scenes action CLIENT

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ast year, two decades after being admitted to the Law Society as a qualified , Neil Franklin added a somewhat SHAKING UP L different string to his bow. For the Bristol-based partner in TLT, who is also a practitioner in alternative dispute resolution, adding APM’s Project Management Qualification to his THE LEGAL credentials was a natural next step. On the face of it, these are two starkly contrasting worlds – one rich with symbolism of ermine and wigs, the other associated with technology and spreadsheets. But Franklin sees it differently: “I view myself PROFESSION as a project manager and as a lawyer. I don’t think the two are inconsistent. I’m probably unusual in doing both, but I Alexander Garrett feel – and the firm feels – that it’s a really investigates how project positive contribution to the work we do for clients.” management is gaining a foothold in law firms, Legal project management (LPM) is a discipline attracting growing interest where legal project managers are becoming a among corporate law firms, part of a necessary part of the behind-the-scenes action On the face of it, these are two starkly contrasting worlds – one rich with symbolism of ermine and wigs, the other associated with technology and spreadsheets

race to make the delivery of services more transparent, predictable and cost-effective. LPM emerged around a decade ago, notably in the US, and has been steadily gaining traction since. Franklin’s interest was piqued in his early days at TLT, when he found himself running thousands of related cases for financial services clients. “I developed processes for dealing with those matters, and I didn’t have any formal project management skills, so I started to read about it and develop my own. As I moved on to larger-scale projects in our financial services practice, including remediations and regulatory investigations, I decided I needed to become properly qualified.”

ACCIDENTAL PROJECT MANAGERS In the legal sector, early forays into project management were internally focused, revolving around the introduction of networked IT systems or change programmes such as mergers or relocations. LPM marks the introduction of project methods on the client-facing side of law firms, but it also explicitly

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recognises something that lawyers have always done. An innovative approach Dee Tamlin, head of client and legal

REPRO OP at Simmons & Simmons project management at Pinsent Masons, says: “When I train our lawyers, I always For the international firm of Simmons & to do what they were doing, but more acknowledge with them that they are Simmons, founded in more than efficiently and visible to our clients. We accidental project managers. Just because 120 years ago, project management has created a global Service Excellence we haven’t called it project management been introduced through an innovative Standard based on the foundations and before now doesn’t mean they haven’t approach designed to involve all the principles of project management.” been doing that in some form for the

SUBS firm’s lawyers and focus on the level of Service Excellence aimed to look past 100 years or more. A lawyer gets service delivered to clients. “About two fundamentally at a different way of instructed, works out the scope of years ago, we looked at market research lawyers doing their job. Sharma says: what needs to be done, then estimates and found that all law firms were falling “We consulted a number of senior the time and costs.” LPM puts that on short on a number of things,” says lawyers and business heads, who said: a professional, more consistent and Aman Sharma, a Chartered Project ‘If this is going to work, you need to methodical basis, she explains. “Instead of Professional and Fellow of APM, and see the whites of our eyes in all the reinventing the wheel every time we get leading teams, managing the throughput “We no longer have to

ART head of the firm’s Service Excellence countries and it mustn’t be UK-centric.’” a new instruction, we can have templates of tasks and recording some of the highest team. “They were all technically Her team – Francesco Della Rotonda, a for different work types, and ensure that numbers of hours on a project.” expect our lawyers who giving great legal advice to clients, but specialist in business diagnostics, and if our UK office produces a status report, were falling short on meeting clients’ Michael Dada, an experienced legal it looks the same as one produced by our A ‘SECOND PROFESSION’? are highly qualified and expectations, for example on value project manager – organised a series of Australian office.” The range of ‘matters’ – the legal term extremely versatile in for money, cost certainty and quality.” 80 workshops over a year, reaching out Some think the initial impetus for for an assignment – where LPM has legal advice to take on Sharma set up the Service Excellence to all of the firm’s 1,000-plus fee-earning LPM was the increasing complexity of been found to be most valuable includes team with two clear objectives: “To make lawyers, as well as support staff across a second profession.

PRODUCTION big legal cases; others say it was borne those where there is complexity, but also sure we were consistently exceeding our 22 international offices. Workshops were out of a desire by banks to cut legal costs where there is a high level of technology Just as we don’t say to a clients’ expectations in the delivery of tailored for the 49 individual practices post-financial crisis. It’s clear that clients or a significant amount of process legal services, and to optimise the way within each office. involved, O’Sullivan explains. “The most plumber that they have our lawyers were working.” “I was told I would be lucky if I natural landing place, where we should got to be an electrician” Caroline Hunter-Yeats, a partner got 20 per cent attendance because Legal project most definitely be considered, is the on the firm’s International Executive lawyers are so busy,” says Sharma. But management is a transactional space, often involving loans, Committee was brought in to sponsor with the backing of active sponsors in M&A, private equity, banking, tax or real time-consuming? It could be weekly cost CLIENT the initiative; she had personal Hunter-Yeats, managing partner Jeremy discipline attracting estate.” At the other end of the spectrum, reporting, and once they see us do that, experience of using a project Hoyland, managing director of solutions growing interest few would attempt to use LPM where a they wonder what else we can do. And management approach after being Ben McGuire and 49 national leaders, among corporate client is simply asking for advice. once they engage, they don’t want to run asked to do so by a major client. “We they achieved 80 per cent attendance. Key benefits for the client include projects without us.” felt very strongly that this had to be a The workshops introduced lawyers law firms, part of efficiency, control and risk management, In any case, most legal project managers change at grassroots level,” she explains. to a structured project management a race to make the resulting in a better overall experience and realise they can’t hard-sell their approach “I’d seen a number of firms who had approach – doing what they did before, increased satisfaction. Tamlin says that it to colleagues and a more subtle approach hired a legal project manager then but in an optimal and efficient way. delivery of services is a more collaborative way for lawyers and is required. Simon Muller, head of LPM dropped them into a group and expected This provided them with skills and more transparent, clients to work together. “Traditionally at , says: “The trick is miracles to happen. I didn’t think that, in tools that are now mandated for use we would have got the instruction and very much to find those people who have a law firm, that’s how you create change. by all the firm’s lawyers. For smaller predictable and the lawyers would have gone into ‘doing’ an existing interest in this approach, or We had to give our lawyers a framework legal matters, they run the project cost-effective mode pretty quickly, not always fully a potential challenge that they need help management themselves, but for larger, understanding what the objectives of the with, and a client who is keen on a better more complex matters, Sharma has are driving much of the adoption of project were,” she explains. “Now we’re way of working. If you get the timing right, built a team of legal project managers, LPM, not least because they are used to saying: let’s hold a planning meeting with they are very interested in working with led by Dada. “I wanted to create deploying project management and the the client. I’ve done one recently, and the you. But it can’t be a solution looking for a chartered, platinum set of legal clear reporting benefits it brings. But while client was so responsive. No legal work a problem.” project professionals from a wealth of most of the bigger law firms have at least has been done yet, but we’ve planned different backgrounds,” she explains. dipped their toe in the water, LPM is still exactly what we need to do and the client ACCELERATING FROM AN The benefits, says Hunter-Yeats, at a fledgling stage across the profession is fully engaged.” ORGANIC START include “winning work I don’t think we as a whole. On the other side of the coin, says How the LPM offer is structured will otherwise would have won. We are Tamlin, “we no longer have to expect vary from firm to firm. At TLT, Franklin getting plaudits on the quality of our NATURAL ADVANTAGES our lawyers who are highly qualified and says: “It started organically, and I was pitches and the transparency within Global law firm Baker McKenzie was extremely versatile in legal advice to take one of the of a central LPM them, and the quality of the team that one of the early adopters and claims on a second profession. Just as we don’t function, which we have introduced over we bring.” She adds that: “The bit that the largest LPM team worldwide, with say to a plumber that they have got to the past two years. Before that, there were always bugged me was the waste of a mandate to grow further. Its London- be an electrician.” That said, many firms individual legal project managers across resource where, effectively, someone based associate director of LPM, Kevin try to introduce the main body of their the firm, dealing with matters in an ad was being asked internally to do O’Sullivan, says: “Some clients are much legal professionals to the benefits of LPM hoc way, and we wanted to create more something that the client didn’t actually more open to this than others, and there’s through some form of training. “Once uniformity and consistency in how it was want and was never going to pay for. a lot more to uncover. At the more mature they understand what it is, we’ll ask them: done at TLT.” Aman Sharma Now that happens far less often.” end, we are playing a leadership role: what is the thing that you most want to At Baker McKenzie, there is a hybrid communicating directly with clients, get off your desk because it is the most model, O’Sullivan explains: “We see this

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recognises something that lawyers have as a change programme, so we need to always done. get hearts and minds aligned, and on that Dee Tamlin, head of client and legal basis we need to be on the ground with project management at Pinsent Masons, our lawyers to help them understand says: “When I train our lawyers, I always LPM and talk to their clients about the to do what they were doing, but more acknowledge with them that they are experience. But we also have service efficiently and visible to our clients. We accidental project managers. Just because centres that are our bench strength to created a global Service Excellence we haven’t called it project management make sure we have enough people to fulfil Standard based on the foundations and before now doesn’t mean they haven’t the needs of clients and internal teams.” principles of project management.” been doing that in some form for the With a shortage of those with extensive Service Excellence aimed to look past 100 years or more. A lawyer gets experience of LPM, recruits tend to range fundamentally at a different way of instructed, works out the scope of from those who entered the law profession lawyers doing their job. Sharma says: what needs to be done, then estimates and now want to branch out, to people “We consulted a number of senior the time and costs.” LPM puts that on from completely different backgrounds lawyers and business heads, who said: a professional, more consistent and such as consulting. O’Sullivan says: “One ‘If this is going to work, you need to methodical basis, she explains. “Instead of thing we look for is what we call ‘humble see the whites of our eyes in all the reinventing the wheel every time we get leading teams, managing the throughput confidence’. It’s a mixture of being countries and it mustn’t be UK-centric.’” a new instruction, we can have templates of tasks and recording some of the highest “We no longer have to humble enough to accept that a legal Her team – Francesco Della Rotonda, a for different work types, and ensure that numbers of hours on a project.” expect our lawyers who project manager can’t really bring an ego specialist in business diagnostics, and if our UK office produces a status report, to the table – there’s enough lawyer ego Michael Dada, an experienced legal it looks the same as one produced by our A ‘SECOND PROFESSION’? are highly qualified and there already – and having confidence to project manager – organised a series of Australian office.” The range of ‘matters’ – the legal term extremely versatile in challenge and be bold in offering new ways 80 workshops over a year, reaching out Some think the initial impetus for for an assignment – where LPM has legal advice to take on of doing things.” to all of the firm’s 1,000-plus fee-earning LPM was the increasing complexity of been found to be most valuable includes lawyers, as well as support staff across big legal cases; others say it was borne those where there is complexity, but also a second profession. LESS CLOAK AND DAGGER 22 international offices. Workshops were out of a desire by banks to cut legal costs where there is a high level of technology Just as we don’t say to a Project management is already tailored for the 49 individual practices post-financial crisis. It’s clear that clients or a significant amount of process fundamentally changing the way law is within each office. involved, O’Sullivan explains. “The most plumber that they have managed and it is set to make further “I was told I would be lucky if I natural landing place, where we should got to be an electrician” inroads. Muller says that use of more got 20 per cent attendance because Legal project most definitely be considered, is the advanced technology and automation lawyers are so busy,” says Sharma. But management is a transactional space, often involving loans, will be a key development in the next few with the backing of active sponsors in M&A, private equity, banking, tax or real time-consuming? It could be weekly cost years. “Many lawyers and legal project Hunter-Yeats, managing partner Jeremy discipline attracting estate.” At the other end of the spectrum, reporting, and once they see us do that, managers still do things in a very manual Hoyland, managing director of solutions growing interest few would attempt to use LPM where a they wonder what else we can do. And way,” he remarks. “But if you could Ben McGuire and 49 national leaders, among corporate client is simply asking for advice. once they engage, they don’t want to run organise your data so that you hit one they achieved 80 per cent attendance. Key benefits for the client include projects without us.” button and the right report falls out, that The workshops introduced lawyers law firms, part of efficiency, control and risk management, In any case, most legal project managers kind of tool would be really helpful.” to a structured project management a race to make the resulting in a better overall experience and realise they can’t hard-sell their approach Systems already record lawyers’ hours, approach – doing what they did before, increased satisfaction. Tamlin says that it to colleagues and a more subtle approach and one challenge is to integrate that data but in an optimal and efficient way. delivery of services is a more collaborative way for lawyers and is required. Simon Muller, head of LPM into project management, says Muller. This provided them with skills and more transparent, clients to work together. “Traditionally at Addleshaw Goddard, says: “The trick is The next step, he adds, would be to use tools that are now mandated for use we would have got the instruction and very much to find those people who have the data for benchmarking, to scope by all the firm’s lawyers. For smaller predictable and the lawyers would have gone into ‘doing’ an existing interest in this approach, or future projects and to generate insights legal matters, they run the project cost-effective mode pretty quickly, not always fully a potential challenge that they need help for future matters. management themselves, but for larger, understanding what the objectives of the with, and a client who is keen on a better For some, LPM is a catalyst in changing more complex matters, Sharma has are driving much of the adoption of project were,” she explains. “Now we’re way of working. If you get the timing right, the nature of the law firm itself. At Pinsent built a team of legal project managers, LPM, not least because they are used to saying: let’s hold a planning meeting with they are very interested in working with Masons, Tamlin says: “Our firm’s strategy led by Dada. “I wanted to create deploying project management and the the client. I’ve done one recently, and the you. But it can’t be a solution looking for is now to be a professional services firm a chartered, platinum set of legal clear reporting benefits it brings. But while client was so responsive. No legal work a problem.” with law at its core. Think of the different project professionals from a wealth of most of the bigger law firms have at least has been done yet, but we’ve planned elements involved in delivering legal different backgrounds,” she explains. dipped their toe in the water, LPM is still exactly what we need to do and the client ACCELERATING FROM AN services; we have people like forensic The benefits, says Hunter-Yeats, at a fledgling stage across the profession is fully engaged.” ORGANIC START accountants and data scientists, and there include “winning work I don’t think we as a whole. On the other side of the coin, says How the LPM offer is structured will might be one of those in the project team otherwise would have won. We are Tamlin, “we no longer have to expect vary from firm to firm. At TLT, Franklin alongside the lawyers.” getting plaudits on the quality of our NATURAL ADVANTAGES our lawyers who are highly qualified and says: “It started organically, and I was And at Baker McKenzie, O’Sullivan pitches and the transparency within Global law firm Baker McKenzie was extremely versatile in legal advice to take one of the advocates of a central LPM says LPM is part of a shift towards a more them, and the quality of the team that one of the early adopters and claims on a second profession. Just as we don’t function, which we have introduced over transparent profession. “Law still has this we bring.” She adds that: “The bit that the largest LPM team worldwide, with say to a plumber that they have got to the past two years. Before that, there were aura: throw it into the black box and we’ll always bugged me was the waste of a mandate to grow further. Its London- be an electrician.” That said, many firms individual legal project managers across get it done and you don’t need to worry,” resource where, effectively, someone based associate director of LPM, Kevin try to introduce the main body of their the firm, dealing with matters in an ad he says. “The reality is that clients need was being asked internally to do O’Sullivan, says: “Some clients are much legal professionals to the benefits of LPM hoc way, and we wanted to create more to be more involved these days. They something that the client didn’t actually more open to this than others, and there’s through some form of training. “Once uniformity and consistency in how it was need it to be done in a more visible, more want and was never going to pay for. a lot more to uncover. At the more mature they understand what it is, we’ll ask them: done at TLT.” approachable way, less cloak and dagger. Now that happens far less often.” end, we are playing a leadership role: what is the thing that you most want to At Baker McKenzie, there is a hybrid People aren’t just worried about the result, communicating directly with clients, get off your desk because it is the most model, O’Sullivan explains: “We see this they want a better journey.”

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