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”
Hall of fame: Axel Anderl
Head of IT, IP and Data Protection Practice Axel Anderl, highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence.
What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capability? There have been many legal landmarks such as conducting ebay’s Austrian subsidiary during its entire lifecycle – from establishment, the rapid and large development of the business to its wind-down and beyond – by being taken along by its employees to their new …
Continue reading “Axel Anderl”
Hall of fame: Dave Baffa
Partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP Dave Baffa, talks about his successful work and predicts the biggest challenge for clients over the next year.
What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capability? My greatest professional achievement has been the procurement and ongoing development of several large, institutional client relationships, which I am privileged to manage. I learn so much every day from the opportunity to work with terrific clients, now friends. What do you do …
Continue reading “Dave Baffa”
Interview with: Juan Camilo Rodríguez
CMS Rodríguez-Azuero’s managing partner talks about the challenges facing lawyers in Colombia and the positive impact of his firm’s recent integration into the CMS fold.
How would you define your firm’s culture? How important is that culture to you? Our firm’s culture is based on team work. We work together towards the same goals and objectives. The foundation of our work is based on strong values and principles that guide us to always be client centric and work towards protecting …
Continue reading “‘There is corruption at all levels’”
Interview with: Nick Thomas
Kennedys’ senior partner talks future proofing for Brexit, the firm’s expansion across Latin America, and why clients should see their lawyers as human beings.
What is the leadership structure at Kennedys? As the senior partner of Kennedys I am supported by a global strategy board which meets monthly. The board includes partners from across our global network of offices, ensuring that global perspectives are always considered in advance of any key developments at the firm. In addition to this, …
Continue reading “Legal
ability is no more than permission to play”
Interview with: Rafael Briz
Mayora & Mayora’s senior partner extolls the virtues of flexible working and work-life balance for associates.
How would you define Mayora & Mayora’s culture? I would define our firm’s culture externally as one that is centred on personalised service to the client. The partners and associates in charge of handling cases know every detail of the case and this allows us to provide an excellent service to the client. Internally, the …
Continue reading “Morning person or late riser?
It doesn’t matter”
Interview with: Roger Meltzer
DLA Piper’s global co-chair talks about the challenges of
expansion, a commitment to innovation, and building an
organisation that reflects society.
DLA Piper is well known for the size and scope of its network. What are the specific challenges of leading a firm of this size and scope? Excepting the nightmarish logistics associated with time zones and travel, which do unquestionably make leadership positions in global firms more cumbersome, I also generally believe the challenges are …
Continue reading “Law firms must drive social change or lose the talent war”
