Legal Consulting Firms

As summer winds down many of us shift gears. Vacations are ending, offices are getting busier and clients are re-focusing on the rest of the year. This makes late August and September an ideal time to take a fresh look at your business development efforts. The lawyers who are most successful in BD know that it isn’t about one big pitch or one conference. It comes from consistent, thoughtful actions that strengthen relationships and create trust over time. Here are some practical ways to use this transition period: ✔️ Reconnect with your clients. Check in before fall gets hectic. Ask how their business is going, what challenges they see ahead and where you might help beyond the matter you’re handling. A short call or note can make a lasting impression. ✔️ Review your active matters. Where can you anticipate an issue before it surfaces? Can you save your client time or money with a different approach? Proactivity is often remembered more than the actual legal work. ✔️ Follow up with people you met earlier this year. Those spring conferences and summer events were only the first step. A quick email to share an article, congratulate them on news or simply continue the conversation shows that you were paying attention. ✔️ Focus on your team. Associates and junior lawyers often have more client contact than you realize. Training them to listen well, communicate clearly and show genuine interest in clients builds loyalty and strengthens your practice from the inside. ✔️ Map out your fall. Identify the events you’ll attend, the articles you’ll publish or the webinars you’ll host. Without a plan the season slips away quickly and opportunities get lost. Business development is not just about chasing new clients. Some of the biggest growth comes from nurturing the relationships you already have and making sure your team is prepared to do the same. Use this end-of-summer reset to be intentional about how you’re showing up for clients and colleagues. Those small, steady steps now will set you up for stronger relationships and more opportunities as the year closes. Which of these tips resonate with you? #legalmarketing #lawfirmmarketing #businessdevelopment

The Profession Nobody Understands I work in Government Affairs. No, I don't know everyone. Last week, after introducing myself at an industry event, someone asked, "So, what exactly do you do in Government Affairs?" After more than two decades in this profession, I still get this question, and I completely understand why. Government Affairs is one of the few careers where even family and colleagues aren't entirely sure what you do. Over the years, I've heard some wonderfully creative assumptions: - "You must know every Minister personally." - "Can you get my passport renewed faster?" - "Government Affairs? Isn't that the same as Communications or Public Relations?" The answer to all of these is... not quite! The reality is far less dramatic and involves significantly more reading than most people would imagine. A typical day might include: - Two or three cups of coffee - Fifty (or more) pages of policy documents - A few strategy meetings - One geopolitical development (sometimes before breakfast!) - Several attempts to explain why a seemingly obscure government notification could have implications for the business six months from now. One of the biggest misconceptions about Government Affairs is that it is all about having the right contacts. In reality, it is about having the right context. The best professionals in this field are not necessarily the ones who know the most people; they are the ones who understand how policy, economics, business, and geopolitics intersect—and can help organizations navigate those intersections. In many ways, we are translators. We translate government language into business language, business priorities into policy conversations, and occasionally, acronyms into other acronyms. What makes the profession fascinating is that almost anything can become relevant. A trade agreement influences investment. A geopolitical event thousands of miles away can suddenly become the first topic on tomorrow morning's leadership call. A single sentence buried on page 87 of a government notification can unexpectedly become the most important sentence of your week. Another interesting reality? In many organizations, Government Affairs teams are remarkably lean—often just one or two professionals supporting an entire enterprise. Success depends less on hierarchy and more on collaboration, credibility, relationships, and the ability to connect dots across functions. The best part of the profession? No two days are alike. The most challenging part? No two days are alike. And perhaps that's precisely why, even after all these years, I continue to find Government Affairs one of the most intellectually stimulating and rewarding professions around. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some light reading waiting for me—a 436-page consultation paper. #GovernmentAffairs #PublicPolicy #CorporateAffairs #Leadership #StakeholderEngagement #PublicAffairs #Policy #CareerInsights

The biggest and most important trend I’ve seen in the legal ecosystem since I graduated from law school 15 years ago is the disaggregation of legal work. It’s a trend that shows no signs of stopping. Which I happen to view as a good thing. It used to be that the lawyers were responsible for doing 100% of the work, no matter what the task was. That’s why attention to detail came to be viewed as such an important virtue. The idea was that if your lawyer could do a good job on low value tasks, they could be trusted with higher value tasks. But then both firms & their clients realized that they could break off certain types of lower value work and delegate it to others effectively. Like providers who handled document hosting or first level doc review. Then we all discovered that software (first on premise, then private/public cloud) could effectively automate document, contract, or e-discovery workflows. It probably didn’t hurt that the economics of all this disaggregation were highly attractive. These developments also showed that highly pedigreed (and expensive) lawyers didn’t need to do all the work themselves. Instead, the work could be assigned to the appropriate provider. Division of labor had always been common at law firms—but with internal staff, like paralegals or law librarians. Now it became clear that the work could be further divided & delegated to outside providers. Things are poised to move even faster. Right now, in 2025, investors are waiting in the wings, ready to deploy large sums of capital into legal AI startups, AI-enabled services companies, or occasionally, law firms themselves. New structures, like Arizona ABS or MSOs, will likely lead to the creation of large providers, focused on even higher value tasks that drive operational efficiency to firms & clients. I don’t know what this all means for the ecosystem or the profession for that matter. Surely there will be growing pains, and things could go wrong. It’s still an open question about how all this will interact with the patchwork of draconian regulations surrounding the practice of law. But personally, I think all this change is welcome. The status quo had its own problems. So to me, it doesn’t matter if it’s traditional tech, services, or some new flavor of AI—all this disaggregation of work is a move in the right direction. 

Lawyers as Strategic Business Partners When organizations make big moves, like launching a product or entering a new market, lawyers do much more than check compliance boxes. They act as strategic researchers and analysts who help shape the business path. First, they turn complex regulations into market intelligence. By tracking upcoming laws and policy shifts, they spot new business opportunities before competitors do. Second, they look at risk differently. Instead of just stopping projects, a strategic lawyer quantifies risks and finds creative ways to bypass obstacles, protecting the company's bottom line. Third, they provide competitor foresight. Through public records, patent filings, and litigation tracking, they map out what competitors are doing, which helps guide product plans and acquisitions. Finally, they offer objective analysis. When a team is overly optimistic about a new project, lawyers pressure-test assumptions and bring data-backed reality to the table. If you only bring your legal team in at the very end to sign contracts, you are missing out. Involve them early during the research phase. They don't just know the parameters, they know how to help you navigate them safely. #strategy #business #law #corporatelaw #product #contracts

For decades, 'legal tech' meant one thing: building complex, expensive software to help big law firms bill more hours, more efficiently. The entire industry was built to serve the lawyer. That era is officially over. The real, multi-trillion dollar opportunity was never about making lawyers slightly more productive, it was about serving the millions of small businesses and individuals who couldn't afford them in the first place. A new wave of startup founders understands that the future isn't about selling software to law firms, but about delivering legal outcomes to everyone else. This shift is happening in real-time so when I met Andrew Guzman at OpenLaw, with a mission of making legal services accessible and on-demand, I was excited to get involved. Their momentum highlights a broader trend we're seeing. Devalued Currency: On-premise enterprise software sold in multi-year contracts to the top 200 law firms. New Currency: On-demand, transparently-priced legal services delivered through a marketplace that empowers both the client and the independent lawyer. Here’s how the next generation of legal tech founders are building: ✔️They Focus on the Client Experience, Not the Lawyer Workflow. The old guard built tools to optimize tasks within a law firm. The next gen are obsessed with the client's journey. They ask: "How can we get a small business a simple, fixed-fee contract review in 24 hours?" This client-centric obsession, rather than lawyer-centric optimization, is the single biggest mindset shift in the industry. ✔️ They Use AI for Access, Not Just Efficiency. First-gen legal tech used AI to help a $1k/hour lawyer find a document 10% faster. The new generation uses AI to automate routine tasks, enabling a marketplace of lawyers to offer services at a price point small businesses can actually afford. AI isn't a tool to enhance the old model, it's a weapon to unlock a completely new market. ✔️ They Sell Predictability First, Legal Services Second. The biggest barrier for a small business isn't a lack of legal documents, it's the paralyzing fear of surprise bills and hiring the wrong expert. Instead the new gen build products that offer fixed-fee packages, transparent reviews and clear project scopes, ensuring a customer knows the exact cost and deliverable upfront. They understand that what they’re really selling is predictability. The future of legal tech doesn't look like a piece of software. It looks like a simple, elegant experience that finally gives businesses and individuals the expert help they really need. A huge congrats to the OpenLaw team for closing $3.5M and leading the charge. Let's go! 🚀 🚀 🚀 The LegalTech Fund, Wisdom Ventures, Mindful Venture Capital, Flint Capital, Slauson & Co., Techstars, Everywhere Ventures

Marketing can feel overwhelming without a clear plan. The SOSTAC™ framework (Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, Control) simplifies the process, providing a step-by-step guide to create and execute a successful strategy. Here’s how law firms and professional services can apply SOSTAC™ effectively: 1️⃣ Situation: Where Are We Now? Start by assessing your current position. >> Audit your website, social media presence, and marketing efforts. >> Identify your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities compared to competitors. Example: “Our website traffic is high, but lead conversions are low. How can we optimise client inquiries?” 2️⃣ Objectives: Where Do We Want to Be? >> Set clear, measurable goals to guide your efforts. Example Goals: “Increase monthly enquiries by 20% within six months.” “Rank in the top three local results for ‘family lawyer in London.’” Use SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. 3️⃣ Strategy: How Will We Get There? >> Define your overall approach to achieve your objectives. >> Focus on your unique selling proposition (USP) and target audience. Example: “Position the firm as a leading expert in personal injury law by publishing client-focused educational content and leveraging SEO.” 4️⃣ Tactics: What Tools Will We Use? >> List the specific methods and channels you’ll use to implement your strategy. Examples: Publish weekly blogs targeting high-value keywords like “employment law advice.” Run Google Ads targeting local searches for “no-win, no-fee solicitors.” Use email marketing to follow up with prospects after consultations. 5️⃣ Action: Who Will Do What, and When? >> Break down your tactics into actionable steps. >> Assign responsibilities within your team or outsource tasks where needed. >> Create a timeline to keep everything on track. Example: “Launch a content campaign in March, with blogs and social posts scheduled weekly.” 6️⃣ Control: How Will We Measure Success? >> Set KPIs to track progress and refine your approach. >> Monitor website traffic, lead conversion rates, and ad performance. Example: “Track enquiries generated from Google Ads and evaluate ROI monthly.” Regular reviews ensure your strategy remains aligned with your objectives. SOSTAC™ in Action 1️⃣ Analyse current demand (situation). 2️⃣ Set a goal, like increasing consultation bookings by 30% in three months (objective). 3️⃣ Focus on a strategy that emphasises convenience and accessibility. 4️⃣ Use email campaigns, social media ads, and blogs (tactics). 5️⃣ Assign team members to oversee campaigns and manage client inquiries (action). 6️⃣ Measure campaign effectiveness through bookings and feedback (control). SOSTAC™ turns complex marketing efforts into manageable steps, helping your firm focus on what matters most: achieving measurable results. 💬 Have you tried using SOSTAC™ for your campaigns? SOSTAC® Plans by PR Smith

Struggling to pay creditors? This strategy saved my business. When crisis hit our operations, I faced a reality many business owners know too well - insufficient cash flow to meet our debt obligations. The path forward wasn't another loan. It was restructuring what we already owed. My team approached creditors with a clear, honest assessment of our situation. We proposed extended payment periods, temporarily reduced interest rates, and partial debt forgiveness. Many creditors agreed to these terms. They understood a functioning business that pays something is better than a bankrupt one that pays nothing. This breathing room allowed us to redirect resources to revenue-generating activities rather than just servicing debt. The negotiations were tense. Every conversation required preparation, patience, and persistence. Financial experts guided us through the technical aspects of these discussions. Their knowledge of typical creditor concerns helped anticipate objections before they arose. Today, our business operates with manageable debt levels and stronger creditor relationships. The restructuring process taught me that financial difficulties, while challenging, often present opportunities for fundamental improvement. Companies facing similar challenges should remember - creditors want you to succeed. They have significant incentive to find workable solutions. Expert guidance makes all the difference in these negotiations. The right advisor brings credibility to your proposals and clarity to complex financial arrangements. Have you faced similar challenges with debt obligations? What strategies helped your business navigate through financial turbulence? Your experience might be exactly what another business owner needs to hear today. #DebtRescheduling #FinancialRelief #CashFlowManagement

This is Why Every Lawyer Should Attend a Strategy Meeting This post continues “The Modern Boardroom” series — and today’s topic is one every lawyer, especially in-house counsel, needs to understand early. Isn’t strategy for the business team while legal “waits to review documents later”? 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭. That mindset is exactly why many lawyers never grow beyond technical roles. Here’s the simple truth: You cannot advise a business you don’t understand. And strategy meetings are where the real understanding happens. Here’s why your presence matters: ✅ You see risks before they become problems When you’re in the room early, you can spot legal and regulatory issues at the planning stage — not when everything is already in motion. Early guidance saves everyone time, cost, and reputation. ✅ You learn how the business makes decisions Strategy meetings reveal what drives the company — revenue, customer behavior, expansion, investor expectations, cost pressures. Lawyers who understand this give stronger, more relevant advice. ✅ You become a partner, not a last-minute reviewer Lawyers who only show up at the end of a project are seen as obstacles. Lawyers who participate from the start are seen as strategic contributors. ✅ You help shape solutions, not just approve them When you’re present during planning, you help build a legally sound strategy — instead of trying to fix costly mistakes later. ✅ You build trust with leadership Decision-makers trust lawyers who understand the “why” behind the business, not just the “what” of the law. Being at that table shows commitment, interest, and partnership. The truth is simple: If you want to grow into senior leadership — especially as a GC — you must understand the business beyond contracts. Strategy meetings teach you the language of growth, not just the language of compliance. If you found this helpful, please repost ♻️ so more lawyers can see why their seat at the strategy table matters. #Themodernboardroom #Generalcounsel #Lawyers #Corporatestrategy #Leadership #Professionalgrowth #Inhousecounsel #Careerdevelopment

The most strategic legal teams don't think like lawyers. They think like business leaders who happen to have law degrees. Here's what separates strategic legal teams from the rest - they understand that legal advice without commercial context is just expensive noise. They don't just identify risks. They quantify them. They don't just flag issues. They propose solutions that drive business value. Most importantly, they speak the language of business outcomes, not legal process. Strategic legal teams know their company's key performance indicators better than most department heads. They understand the revenue model, the cost structure, the competitive landscape. They can walk into any business meeting and contribute meaningfully to discussions about growth, efficiency, and competitive positioning. Because they've made the intellectual leap from legal technician to business strategist. The shift isn't complicated. Just start asking different questions. Instead of "What are the legal risks?" ask "What's the commercial impact of these risks?" Instead of "Can we do this?" ask "Should we do this, and how can we do it better?" That's how you transform from legal adviser to strategic partner.

Public Policy and Integrity in Arbitration: Lessons from NCPB v. Erad The recent Court of Appeal judgment in NCPB v. Erad Supplies & EACC (Civil Appeal No. 9 of 2012, delivered on 7 November 2025) is one of the most consequential arbitration rulings in Kenya’s recent history. It re-examines a dispute that began two decades ago, when the National Cereals and Produce Board was ordered to pay millions of dollars for maize that was never delivered. The Court has now reopened the matter — not to retry the facts, but to confront a deeper question: can arbitral finality override public accountability? By holding that public policy in Kenya is a constitutional value anchored in Articles 10 and 201, the Court made clear that arbitration cannot be used to shield fraud, corruption, or the misuse of public funds. This case is a reminder that finality does not mean impunity. Courts will intervene — sparingly, but decisively — when arbitral awards offend justice, morality, or the public interest. In the end, NCPB v. Erad is not about maize; it is about integrity — and the kind of justice our arbitration system must stand for. #Arbitration #PublicPolicy #KenyaLaw #IntegrityInJustice #ADR #Governance #LegalReform #RuleOfLaw #Accountability #CIARB Kenya #PublicFinance #JudicialOversight #TripleOKLaw