Interview with: Ron Urbach
Davis & Gilbert’s chairman on why the New York firm is the antithesis of Big Law and the importance he places on offering clients value-added service
How would you define your firm’s culture? How important is firm culture to you? Our culture is a reflection of our firm’s history and core values, grounded on the concepts of family – care, respect, understanding, integrity and service; history – learning from and respectful of the past; entrepreneurial spirit and business focus; and always …
Continue reading “The benefits of being ‘other’”
Interview with: Séverine Hotellier
What works in New York does not necessarily work in Baku, and we understand that, explains Dentons’ Paris managing partner
How would you define your firm’s culture? Dentons is a challenger brand and we are trying to build the law firm of the future together, so it is a very exciting place to work. Our culture is extremely important to us, so we have built a unique culture around five core values: passion, foresight, collaboration, …
Continue reading “Polycentricity sets us apart”
Interview with: Georg Frowein and Rainer Krause
Hengeler Mueller’s co-managing partners provide advice to the next generation of partners and explain why they shun the ‘straitjacket’ of branch networks
How would you define your firm’s culture? How important is firm culture to you? Throughout the existence of Hengeler Mueller, we have preserved a close and cooperative culture within our partnership. We regard this as a very precious element of our firm and key to our success. Most Hengeler Mueller partners spend their whole career …
Continue reading “Invent, move forward, collaborate”
Interview with...
HFW’s Australia managing partner on what sets his firm apart from the competition, creating a ‘one stop shop’, and ‘unrestricted’ partner access
What’s the main change you’ve made in Australia that will benefit clients? When we established HFW’s first office in Australia in 2006 our principal service areas were shipping and commodities, being the industry sectors for which the firm is widely recognised internationally as having market-leading expertise. Australia generates about 10% of the world’s bulk freight …
Continue reading “Gavin Vallely: A true industry focus”
Interview with: Milton Cheng
Baker McKenzie’s Hong Kong managing partner talks about the firm’s joint operation with FenXun Partners and the challenges facing international firms in a tough China market
How would you define Baker McKenzie’s culture and how important is it to you? We believe firm culture is very important. It sets the tone for how we interact with each other, our clients and our communities at large. We have a collaborative, entrepreneurial, pragmatic, diverse, and inclusive culture. These qualities among our lawyers and …
Continue reading “How to attract Chinese rainmakers”
Interview with: Gavin MacLaren
Law firms must be fast followers of new tech to offer clients the best systems on the market, says Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s senior partner and CEO.
How would you define your firm’s culture? Culture is intrinsically linked to, and the foundation for, success. It is what drives behaviour and decision making at every level, and ultimately determines our ability to deliver outstanding results for our clients. At Corrs, our culture is focused on excellence, collaboration – both internally and with our …
Continue reading “If you are standing still, you’re going backwards”
Interview with: Peter McCormick OBE
McCormicks Solicitors’ senior partner on the pressures of acting for high-profile clients, why young lawyers can’t be nervous groupies, and why all lawyers need to be
better at collecting their fees.
How would you describe your practice? A wide-ranging and extensive sports practice covering football, rugby union, rugby league, cricket, horseracing, cycling, boxing, and athletics. Football is the best known and most extensive. We cover the full range of football entities from the Premier League, Leeds United, Harrogate Town in the National League to the Bostik …
Continue reading “Sports law is big business”
Interview with: Terence Tung
Mayer Brown’s senior partner in Asia talks about avoiding silos, a commitment to pro bono, and working as a collective.
How would you describe your firm’s culture and how important is it to you? Is it different in Asia from the home base in Chicago? Mayer Brown has a strong one-firm culture that enables us to be seamless in serving our clients. This is possible because we operate as a global partnership, rather than in …
Continue reading “Talent retention is critical and unity is strength”
Interview with: Vanessa King
O’Neal Webster’s managing partner talks talent retention, EU blacklisting, launching a New York office, and the difficulties of having an open door policy
How do you define your firm’s culture and how important is that culture to you? We have a very collaborative, supportive, family-based culture in the firm. I am not saying this because I am the managing partner, but it has been described as such by outsiders who have observed us and it is a culture …
Continue reading “Tell your people where they stand”
Hall of fame: Andrey Goltsblat
Managing partner Andrey Goltsblat predicts the biggest challenge for clients in the face of new potential legislation.
What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capability? The greatest achievement is my team and where we are now. Previously a leading national team, in 2009, after joining forces with the major UK law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and creating Goltsblat BLP, we began offering the market a totally new …
Continue reading “Andrey Goltsblat”
