Law firm leaders must do more than react to change: they must anticipate market dynamics and create a culture that allows their lawyers and their firm to proactively shape the environment. Law firms face unprecedented complexity, increased competition and demands for transformation; yet, lawyers’ taste for autonomy and their need for intellectual challenge makes leading them especially demanding. As a result, leaders must ensure they have the right skills including the ability to listen, coach, innovate and support change.

This second edition, coordinated by Rebecca Normand-Hochman and Dr Heidi K Gardner on behalf of the International Bar Association, explores the crucial elements of law firm leadership. New and updated chapters by prominent experts in the field include:

   •   Leading partners to collaborate: featuring

       case studies and research to support

       behavioural change efforts, this new

       chapter highlights how lawyers’ unique

       personality profile can inhibit change –

       and how leaders can productively manage

       this obstacle.

   •   Leading the M&A process: having helped

       both smaller domestic and massive global

       law firms to successfully complete

       combinations, the authors reveal the critical

       steps leaders need to follow to gain

       partners’ commitment to the hard work

       ahead.

   •   Leadership succession: based on work with

       150 law firms, this new chapter contains

       checklists and tools to help handle typical

       ‘pain points’, such as incentivising partners

       to cede control.

Further chapters address how to lead productive business development efforts, global and virtual teams, the Millennial generation, and much more.

Providing insights and practical guidance, this edition demonstrates how law firm leaders can enhance their leadership capabilities, whether their firms are small or large, domestic or global. Additionally, it is a vital resource for developing talent in legal professionals and consultants. Further, by highlighting the benefits of developing leadership skills early on, the book will be of interest to junior lawyers seeking to develop their careers.

"From digitalisation & managing millennials to the latest neuroscience on how we learn and change, this comprehensive handbook should be on every modern law firm leader’s reading list."

David Morley,  Principal, David H Morley LLP, former Senior Partner Allen & Overy