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”
Hall of fame: Max Berger
Max Berger, co-founder, discusses how Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP is adapting to changing client needs.
What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capability? My greatest achievement as a professional was the co-founding of my law firm in 1983. During our growth – from the four founding partners to a law firm of approximately one hundred fifty lawyers in four cities – we have never wavered from …
Continue reading “Max Berger”
Hall of fame: Paul Friedland
Partner Paul Friedland discusses how White & Case LLP is adapting to changing client needs.
What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capability? Earning and keeping the respect of colleagues, whether junior or senior, and of peers inside or outside my firm. What do you do differently from your peers in the industry? I don’t presume to be different or better than peers. I hold myself …
Continue reading “Paul Friedland”
Interview with: Fernando Vives
Garrigues’ managing partner and executive chairman talks
organic growth, managing through recession, and why it is
impossible to predict the future of law.
How would you define your firm’s culture? In our kind of business, a strong firm culture easily recognizable by clients is essential. Garrigues has developed a global culture, based on strong ethical values and a commitment with excellence, shared by our 2,000 people team in 13 countries. The client benefits from the fact that they …
Continue reading “We all face a common challenge”
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”
