Tuning in to client needs

Welcome back from a busy summer and, hopefully, well-earned breaks. With a variety of potential challenges on the horizon, it seems listening closely to client expectations and keeping an eye on their specific needs will be more important than ever as we move into the latter part of 2022 – and that’s precisely the theme explored in this month’s cover story. We speak to a multitude of legal business leaders with a stake in the client relationship dynamic to see how law firms are getting their message out there in a more virtual landscape – and where they’re struggling to cut through the noise.

At the same time, many businesses are dealing with the consequences of rising inflation – Axel Koelsch at Stephenson Harwood takes a look at possible responses to that issue in his column this month.

The last few months have also seen increased merger activity in the legal market, with a couple of notable names joining up with new partners. In this month’s issue, we learn how to navigate such delicate procedures from one such recently merged firm: John Schorah at Weightmans discusses the process of coming together with RadcliffesLeBrasseur, a deal completed in June this year.

And of course, we also have plenty of other insights this month, not least our interview with Lawyers on Demand (LOD) founder and head honcho Simon Harper, who discusses the difference in outlook between an alternative legal services provider and a traditional law firm.

Plus, we hear about new tools from NetDocuments’ chief product officer Dan Hauck and Mike Walker at Peppermint Technology, and we learn about Catalyst BI’s thoughts on the effects of data strategy on client relationships.

On top of all that, we have more industry advice from Bundledocs on cloud technology, Legal RM looks at retention issues, and Coveo explores ways of finding internal knowhow more quickly. Not to mention advice from Aderant on digitising the client journey, and Intapp on gauging the health of client relationships.

We also walk through the processes of achieving ISO 9001 quality management certification with Horwich Farrelly and, last but not least, we have comment from Jon Roscow at FileTrail on governance and compliance concerns, Phil Muller at Williams Lea on the necessity – or lack thereof – of support teams appearing in person, and Heidi Gardner explores potential inclusivity pitfalls.

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MESSAGES ON MUTE?

The myriad changes of the last two years have had a significant impact on how people connect – Josh Adcock asks a range of legal leaders how they’ve navigated a more virtual landscape and what it might take in future to stand out in a crowded digital world.

PATTERN VISIONS

Automation isn’t purely a matter of efficiency, says Dan Hauck, chief product officer at NetDocuments. He explains how the supplier’s new app creation and automation tool – PatternBuilder – will help legal professionals develop new, innovative ways of working.

JOINING UP MERGERS

Bringing together two distinct legal businesses, along with all their cultural and strategic differences, can be a bumpy road – John Schorah, managing partner at Weightmans, discusses the recent merger with RadcliffesLeBrasseur and outlines a clear methodology to smooth the way.