Editor’s foreword

The legal world has been left reeling once again this week by the publication of a novel that claims to reveal all about the sexual antics and misbehaviour of the UK’s richest lawyers. Fish Sunday Thinking, written under the pseudonym Alex Gilmore, has set tongues wagging as to the unnamed firm on which the novel is based. The 27-year-old author claims that the novel is an accurate representation of some of the events that took place during his time as a solicitor at one of London’s biggest law firms. Needless to say the tales related do not make happy reading for the legal profession, with partners portrayed as sex-obsessed bullies and female lawyers judged on the size of their breasts rather than their legal acumen.

Even more worrying, however, are some of the responses to the novel. According to a legal-profession website, www.rollonfriday.com, more than 100 lawyers responded to a competition that asked for examples of real-life comparisons with the book. And Matthew Rhodes, who runs the website, reportedly told The Independent that the sort of episodes described in the novel would be typical of the daily life of lawyers in nearly every City firm.

It seems that whatever the legal profession does to modernise its image, these tales leak out to remind observers that this is a world that can be cut-throat at best and intolerable at worst. For those that beat the stiff competition to win themselves a place with the biggest City firms, a decent salary might soon be the only thing to keep them going through the working week, as long hours and a miserable working environment take their toll.

It seems particularly fitting that the uproar surrounding this novel should coincide with Managing Partner’s annual strategic-marketing issue. Where firms appear to be working harder than ever to refine their external images, to differentiate themselves against the competition, and to win more and better work from clients that are streamlining rather than expanding their law-firm panels, Gilmore’s revelations appear as something akin to a spanner in the works. And even if the events described are only applicable to a minority of firms and lawyers, the repercussions will inevitably remain, souring the outside view of the legal profession as a whole, however unjustified that might be.

Perhaps, however, there is little that can better reveal the truth about law firms than to look at the way they treat their support departments and support people. Where marketing was rarely viewed with serious strategic consideration, it has become an integral part of many a firm’s core business. And with that, the marketing and business-development director has become an important management figure. There is probably no better example of this than with Gillian Khan, marketing director at Berwin Leighton Paisner, who is profiled in this issue. Not only is Khan involved in strategic initiatives that will drive the firm’s external business image, but she is central to internal initiatives to change partner behaviours, encouraging cross-selling and a collegiate culture across practice areas. That she is able to do this suggests a firm that is neither bullying nor repressive, but rather encourages and rewards its support teams as part of a business rather than particularly legal culture.

Sadly, however, this cannot be described as typical of all law firms, some of which still fail to give their support managers, and people in general, the respect and responsibility they deserve. Just as firms seem unable to overcome a restrictive remuneration model, long based on chargeable/non-chargeable hours, they also seem unable to really embrace behavioural change, leaving the partners, and their engrained traditions, to rule over all. While this situation continues, the legal profession will always struggle to overcome its often poor public image.

Caroline Poynton
Editor

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