Reports
Jomati has published a series of in-depth reports on key legal issues.
All reports are carefully researched and are full of statistical data. They are also backed up by numerous off-the-record interviews with leading lawyers and general counsel.
All of our reports are now available for download.
Reimaging your business in a post COVID-19 world: Rebuild Better
This new report, sets out how lawyers can help make the world a better place, while also generating new lines of advisory work. To illustrate how that might be possible, the Jomati report makes use of a framework that many organisations are now also using to help achieve this objective, known as ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance).
The Legal Sector in Wales – A Rapid Review
On the instructions of the Welsh Government we prepared an in-depth review of the Welsh legal sector: https://gov.wales/written-statement-publication-rapid-review-legal-sector
To Merge or Not to Merge. That is the Question
The last few years has seen an increasing level of law firm merger activity, particularly in the US and UK. This short report considers the reasons for this level of activity, how to evaluate merger opportunities, the initial process, the merger negotiation process, integration issues, specific issues on cross border mergers and why mergers fail.
Law firm innovation and the use of LegalTech – a reality check
This report explores how forward-thinking law firms are now embracing innovative working practices and novel LegalTech solutions.
The study outlines how firms are identifying and evaluating their innovation and LegalTech-related investment priorities, the partnerships they are forming to deliver change, and how these changes are impacting on practices’ operations and personnel. The report concludes with an overview of “horizon issues” that are likely to impact on the legal services market over the next few years.
A retreat from globalisation? The potential risks and rewards for the legal sector
In an era of President Trump and Brexit, this Jomati report aims to help law firm leaders understand the overall direction of both cross-border trade and trade regulation. By drawing on official statistics, and projections from numerous respected sources, the Jomati study distinguishes between individual events and short-term market fluctuations on the one hand, and long-term trends on the other. The report also identifies which countries, and which industries, would be most at risk from economic harm, should a shift towards trade protectionism occur.
Re-engineering Legal Services: How traditional law firms are finally learning to embrace alternative working practices
This is the fifteenth Jomati report on key issues affecting the legal market. The report focuses on three market developments where traditional law firms are seeking to update their approaches to legal services delivery: the rise of the law firm-operated low cost centres, the gradual acceptance of client-facing legal project management and process improvement and the engagement of contract lawyers in addition to law firms’ permanent fee earners.
The Paradox of Partner Retirement
This report, written in conjunction with BoulterBowen WealthCare, looks at law firms and individual partner's approach to succession planning and their careers after they have “retired” from their law firm. Effective succession management is an important issue for many firms given that partners in their 50s have often had leadership, management, practice group and client relationship roles stretching back over 20 years. We have looked at what firms are, or are not doing; whether there are ways to make the process of retirement more effective and less fraught; and how firms and partners address the divergence of interests that retirement from equity brings. In the course of our research we interviewed 50 partners from 28 of the UK’s leading law firms.
Civilisation 2030: The Near Future for Law Firms
In this report, ‘Civilisation 2030: The Near Future for Law Firms’ we explore what will be the impact on clients and law firms of three key factors that shape the global economy: demographics, the growth of global cities and megacities, as well as the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics into both the industrial and professional sectors. The report closely analysed macro-economic data and key trends then considered how these will develop to 2030.
Internal Frontiers: Law’s Organisational Challenge
This report explores the growing importance of organisational and business culture issues following a period of rapid national and international expansion in the legal sector. The report considers issues such as how law firm managers can respond to the challenges of increasing firm size and complexity, how to deal with unruly rainmakers and how best to tackle the cultural pitfalls that occur within a global business. This report also sets out an analysis of different types of law firms and recommends how management may need to respond to the challenges of their partnership’s growing size and complexity.
Turning Point: Offshore Law Firms in a Changing World
This special report explores the rapidly changing environment for the offshore legal sector, especially in light of the June 2013 G8 meeting where world leaders called for transparency, on and offshore, of corporate structures, as well as demanding a clampdown on 'aggressive' tax avoidance and profit shifting. Also examined in the report are the wider macro-economic forces reshaping the offshore sector, such as China's economy, as well as the pressures the offshore legal market is facing in terms of peer firm competition. It concludes with a study of the major strategic issues offshore law firm management may need to consider to adapt to this turning point in the offshore sector.
Global Balance: Law, BRICs and the Developing World
This report explores the growing importance of the developing world to the legal sector, especially the four BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The report considers the challenges and opportunities in these four key markets, examining their likely future trajectories and what this will mean for major law firms. The report also considers a chasing pack of smaller developing markets and how law firms can develop strategies to meet ever-widening geographical demands of globalisation.
Power Struggle: Law and the Energy Sector
This report explores the growing importance of the energy sector and its increasing interest for international law firms and their clients. Areas examined include: the future development of the oil industry; the impact of gas fracking and the LNG industry; the outlook for renewables; the growth of nuclear power despite recent setbacks; and the likelihood of energy independence. The report also considers the opportunities for legal work across the major practice areas the energy sector may bring.
Africa's Turn: Law and the last Great Emerging Market
This report explores the growing importance of Africa, a continental-sized market of 54 nations that is seeing increasing interest from international law firms and their clients. Areas that are examined include: why is Africa of interest and why now? How should law firms set about opening in Africa or developing coverage there? Which countries should they target and what are the issues they will have to deal with? The report also examines client interest in Africa through a variety of sectors, including commodities, infrastructure, banking and finance.
After the Golden Age: The New Legal Era
This report examines how the legal sector has now left behind a relatively benign period of rapid profit growth that had lasted since the mid-1980s and ended in 2008. The report concludes the legal market has now entered a new era marked by growing pressures on costs and push-back from clients on fees and how legal work may be produced. Areas that are considered include: how these tougher conditions will lead to greater competition leading to both consolidation and more firms falling behind their peers; how pricing pressures will create a new dynamic between law firms and clients with the need to unbundle process work and produce it in a new way becoming paramount; how alternative means of production will challenge the traditional law firm model; and how globalisation can act as an antidote to the commoditisation of process work.
New Frontiers: Law Firms in 2020. - Part Three
This report examines how the financial sector will evolve over the next 10 years, affecting clients and law firms alike. In particular the report looks at the position of the world’s banks and considers how they will grow in the future, especially given the low growth environment in the West and continued growth of developing economies. The report also examines: the merger of exchanges; the challenges faced by private equity and the hedge fund industry; as well as the importance of Sovereign Wealth Funds. The report also considers new forms of finance such as Sharia finance and the role of Micro Finance. It concludes with a long term outlook, taking into account possible future changes to the world’s reserve currencies. In each case the report seeks to show how these changes will affect law firms and their clients.
New Frontiers: Law Firms in 2020. - Part Two
This report considers the impact of changes in global demand for energy, resources, transport and infrastructure over the next 10 years on clients and their law firms. Issues examined include: whether we really are facing a ‘Green’ energy future or not; the rise of electric vehicles; the long term relevance to law firms of growing demand for natural resources – including water resources; and how a global economy will demand a far greater global transport infrastructure. The report also examines the role of technological innovation in generating economic growth and the central importance of Intellectual Property to the world. It concludes with a strategic guide to the best ways to build capability in the practice areas of the future.
New Frontiers: Law Firms in 2020. - Part One
This report examines the real world changes law firms and their clients will experience over the next decade. The report comes in two parts. Part One focuses on macro-economic, corporate, demographic, regulatory and structural change. The report seeks to show how future change will impact clients and in turn affect lawyers - especially those working at a global level. Part Two of this report covers technological, environmental and cultural issues influencing law firms and their clients, and was published in May 2011.
Challenges and Choices: The Bar in Flux
This report examines the radical changes the UK Bar is undergoing, including the opportunity to adopt new business models and structures. The report also examines how Chambers can respond to the overhaul of Legal Aid, the increase in competition for advocacy work from solicitors and the changing demographics of the profession.
Evolution or Revolution? The New Lawyer-Client Relationship
This report considers whether the legal market is truly facing a revolution in how clients relate to law firms. Issues such as fixed fees, value over cost, the growing role of the general counsel and changes to the production of legal work through the better use of IT and outsourcing. The report also considers how these issues will lead to new law firm models and structures.
The Next Wave: Globalisation after the Crisis
This report examines how the globalisation of clients is leading inexorably to the creation of a far larger number of global law firms than ever before. It studies in detail what is driving firms to expand abroad, whether by merger or green field operations and what are the best ways to do this. The report also considers in detail the key legal markets, country by country, that firms may want to expand into in order to better serve their clients.
