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In-house legal teams, long believed to create unnecessary hurdles, can reframe themselves as integral business partners by embedding best practices in governance and compliance, engaging directly with key stakeholders and fostering relationships with colleagues, says Sarah Davis at The Legal Director.
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The benefits of a brand are not always viewed as quantifiable, but the legal sector is realizing the tangible benefits and important function of a strong brand, and can take steps to capitalize on this significant value-adding asset, say Daniela Conte at Gibson Dunn, Ben Girdlestone at Byfield and Leor Franks at Kingsley Napley.
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Recent high-profile cases of breaches of fund-handling rules, and an ongoing Solicitors Regulation Authority review, challenge a long-standing culture of law firms dealing with client funds in-house, and firms may need to opt for other business models to enhance consumer protection, says Claire Van Der Zant at Shieldpay.
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Opinion
As the U.K. approaches a possible watershed general election, the new government must undertake the reforms and investment needed to restore the justice system, and public confidence and safety with it, says Sam Townend at the Bar Council.
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Although elite law firms are offering ever-increasing salaries to talented associates, the traditional concept of partnership is evolving, and work-life balance issues and a greater concern with working in a sustainable environment among Gen Z lawyers mean that going in-house is becoming a more attractive option over time, say Calvin Gardiner and Simi Bains at Buchanan Law.
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Many lawyers question the value of entering or sponsoring legal awards, but with a structured approach and appropriate management, they can provide a chance to promote a firm or set of chambers across multiple platforms and a golden opportunity to develop new business, says Clare Rodway at Kysen.
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Statistics show only a minor dip in law firms' LinkedIn post performance at weekends and holiday periods, demonstrating a missed opportunity to reach the many business leaders and lawyers who use the platform at off-peak times, says Simon Marshall at TBD Marketing.
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Daniela Conte at Gibson Dunn outlines practical steps that public relations professionals working in the legal industry can take to excel at their craft, including providing regular media coaching to lawyers and quantifying the value of PR work.
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An increasing number of law firms are setting up their own charitable foundations, which may be a way of achieving the goals a purposeful business wants to pursue and demonstrating to its stakeholders a tangible commitment to its professed values, says Robert Nieri at Shoosmiths.
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While the Legal Ombudsman has not yet released its latest annual report to the public, we can look at last year's data to decipher what may have caused a spike in client dissatisfaction and predict what to anticipate in an effort to improve the quality of legal services, says Qarrar Somji at Witan Solicitors.
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A recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment against a solicitor for online posts deemed antisemitic and offensive highlights the serious sanctions that can stem from conduct on social media and the importance of law firms' efforts to ensure that their employees behave properly, say Liz Pearson and Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.
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As law firms move away from a solely seniority-based partner remuneration model toward a reward performance system, they need to look holistically at overall contribution, maintaining an effective hierarchy of entrepreneurial senior partners, diligent management and hardworking junior staff in order to incentivize the stars they wish to keep, says Catriona Watt at Fox & Partners.
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Series
With a firm’s hard-won reputation at risk of being trashed if news breaks that the business has misled its stakeholders, it is far better for a public relations team to insist that external promotions be truthful, driving the organization to look critically at itself and make positive change, says Clare Rodway at Kysen PR.
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With the ongoing Post Office inquiry and review of the role lawyers played in the scandal, the Solicitors Regulation Authority is currently under wider public consideration, and it is worth examining its role as a regulator, says Steve Roberts at Richard Nelson.
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Amid the current period of economic and regulatory turbulence, businesses will need to consider skills that go beyond technical excellence when hiring in-house legal talent — including versatility, commercial awareness and artificial intelligence proficiency, says Jerry Temko at Major Lindsey.