Effective Practice Group Leadership: Second Edition

Law firm practice group leadership is not for the faint hearted. As firms compete increasingly at practice group level, leaders are being asked to run their groups like business units; to develop and implement a strategic plan that supports the goals and competitiveness of the firm; and to coordinate and lead their partners to enhance the efficiency, performance, and profitability of their groups. Many firm leaders complain that some of their group heads are not producing the results they want to see. But how many practice group leaders receive the tools and support they need to succeed in this critical role? How many are selected for demonstrable leadership skills? And how often are they held accountable for how well – or otherwise – they perform in the role? With contributions from a wide range of experts, this second edition of Effective Practice Group Leadership explores these key questions and more, building on the first edition with new insights and thought leadership. The book examines the position of the practice group leader (PGL) in law firms today, the challenges of the role, and the changes to it, innovations and how modern practice groups are changing, and demonstrates the enormous contribution PGLs can make to the profitability and performance of their law firms, when armed with the tools and the authority.

Table of Contents:
Executive summary vii About the authors xi Chapter 1: Role and responsibilities of practice group leaders 1 By Susan Saltonstall Duncan, president, RainMaking Oasis Introduction 1 Attributes that make effective practice group leaders 2 Practice group leader as strategist 3 Practice group leader as financial steward 7 Practice group leader as talent manager and coach 9 Ways to accelerate practice group leader effectiveness 11 Chapter 2: The practice group leader as change agent 13 By Susan Raridon Lambreth, principal, LawVision Group, and Dr Larry Richard, founder and principal consultant, LawyerBrain LLC What does it mean to be a change agent in your role as a PGL? 15 What else does a PGL need to be a change agent? 15 Benefits of being a change agent 22 Chapter 3: Rethinking what your practice group is and might become 25 By Michael Roster, former general counsel of Stanford University and former managing partner of Morrison & Foerster’s Los Angeles office Some law firm examples 25 A non-law firm example 27 Platforms 28 Conflicts 30 Privilege 30 Possible transition 31 Chapter 4: Innovation in practice management 33 By Jonathan Fortnam, dean, Aston University Law School Introduction 33 Practice management – a law firm perspective 33 Practice management – another perspective 34 Pricing – a client perspective 36 Alignment – a new perspective 36 Innovation – a different perspective 37 Time for lunch 39 Redesign to align 40 A final perspective 42 Chapter 5: The increasing presence of non-lawyers in practice groups 45 By Neil Lloyd, managing director, FBC Manby Bowdler Driving digital transformation 46 Developing a people-first culture 47 The new business advantage 49 Bringing something new to the boardroom table 50 Chapter 6: Leading the practice group to sustainable profitability 53 By Norman K. Clark, managing principal, Walker Clark Practice group financial management – the law firm’s transmission 53 Four essential elements of effective financial leadership of a practice group 54 What makes your practice group profitable? 55 Understanding the client base 62 Realistic and comprehensive business planning 64 Relentless and continuing attention to quality 68 Where the action is 69 Chapter 7: Developing a practice group pricing strategy 75 By Colin Jasper, principal, Positive Pricing Introduction 75 Targeting clients and services 76 Setting prices 77 Justifying why we should be chosen, even if we are more expensive than competitors 79 Managing matters 80 Conclusion 81 Chapter 8: Focusing your practice team on industry clients 83 By Patrick J. McKenna, internationally recognized author, lecturer, strategist, and seasoned advisor to the leaders of premier professional service firms It is not what you call the industry, it is what the client calls itself that is most important 84 As all industries eventually mature, they naturally fracture into multiple sub-industries 85 There are some areas of opportunity that initially defy simple industry categorization 89 Industry sector expertise is a key differentiator 89 What makes industry sector expertise a meaningful differentiator? 90 Chapter 9: Implementing the balanced scorecard at the practice group level 93 By John Sterling, founding partner, Sterling Strategies, LLC The balanced scorecard – an overview of Kaplan and Norton’s system 93 The balanced scorecard in its most basic form 94 The balanced scorecard as a management tool 95 Implementing the balanced scorecard at the practice group level – a “how to” primer 99 Chapter 10: Coaching for practice group leaders 107 By Hannah Beko, lawyer, author, and founder of Authentically Speaking, a coaching and training consultancy to the legal profession Mindset matters 108 Why do practice group leaders with a growth mindset stand out amongst their peers? 109 Coaching questions encouraging self-reflection 111 What attributes create a great practice group leader? 112 About Globe Law and Business 119