Services & Credentials

Contents
• For Law Firms
• For General Counsel and In-house legal teams
• Credentials

Jomati is the leading UK-based international management consultancy specialising in the legal profession. Its consultants have held worldwide level senior roles in law firm management, as general counsel and as providers of financial analysis for law firms. Our advice is exclusive, tailored and discrete.

Jomati is able to provide a service around the world and has worked for clients in the UK, the Americas, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Our clients range from major international law firms to small, often first generation, independent firms and with legal departments ranging from hundreds of lawyers across multiple locations to a small team in one location. We also advise barristers' chambers including leading commercial sets and primarily publicly funded sets. We have a permanent research team. In addition, Tony Williams acts as a mediator in relation to partnership disputes and provides expert evidence in relation to law firm and partnership matters.

Jomati has a strategic alliance with Hildebrandt Consulting of the US to provide law firm and in-house legal department clients an unparalleled breadth and depth of service and expertise in relation to the global legal market.

Jomati’s approach is to utilise consultants with extensive, senior experience in law firms and in-house. Accordingly, we quickly understand the issues and provide clear and comprehensive advice that can be implemented. We know how to involve lawyers in any change process and to achieve their positive endorsement for action in what can be a profession resistant to change. By using senior consultants we are able to address the issues clearly and authoritatively. We focus on the key issues and practical solutions and tend to avoid voluminous reports just telling you what you told us. We have a strong research team so our advice is evidence based and tailored to the specific circumstances of the client.

By using small teams of experienced consultants we provide a cost effective and focussed service to our clients. Discretion is assured and we adopt lawyers' standards in relation to conflicts of interest and client confidentiality.

Typically, we work with senior and managing partners, general counsel, leaders of chambers, heads of legal, practice area heads and support services directors.

Jomati Consultants provides a range of services to law firms and legal departments. All of our services are tailored to the specific needs of our clients, so our clients can utilise our services in a way that delivers the most value to them. Our services include:

For Law Firms

Our services to law firms encompass four broad areas:

1. The Position and Performance of the Firm

Strategy Review - A clear and executable strategy can help to define a firm’s direction and generate real momentum. We can:

• Provide a “reality check” as to a firm’s performance as against its peers to form the basis of any strategy review.
• Review legal market trends to be factored into any strategy review.
• Review the execution of prior strategies and business plans.
• Discuss with firm and practice group leaders the opportunities and challenges that they have identified.
• Assist the firm’s management in developing the initial strategy document, priorities, action points and required outcomes.
• Facilitate discussions among partners to review and achieve buy-in for the strategy document and suggest appropriate refinements.
• Assist on the internal and external communication of the final strategy.
• Assist in the development of office, practice area and sector group business plans to implement the agreed strategy.
• From time to time, review the delivery of the strategy and propose refinements and further action points.

Management Structure - An effective management, leadership and governance structure can help a firm to run efficiently, maintain cohesiveness and deliver the strategy. As a firm develops, its structures may also need to change. We help by:

• Advising on the appropriate management and governance structure for the firm given its current stage of development and future strategy.
• Addressing disputes and issues that have arisen in relation to the management and governance of a firm. We also act as a formal mediator on partnership disputes.
• Developing clear roles, authorities, responsibilities and accountability for those performing management roles on a firmwide, practice group or office basis.
• Consulting on the process of developing, selecting and appointing those to perform management roles in the firm.
• Advising on the performance metrics for those performing management roles for use in the firm’s remuneration system.

Remuneration Structures and Partner Performance - In a competitive legal market getting the right tools to recruit, retain and motivate partners is crucial as too is a fair and transparent method of evaluating partner performance. We assist firms by:

• Reviewing the existing partner remuneration and partner appraisal systems and identifying areas for potential change.
• Conducting one to one and group discussions with partners to understand concerns with the current system and the appetite for potential reform.
• Developing proposals for revisions to the remuneration and partner performance evaluation system and discussing this with the leadership group.
• Facilitating discussion among partners as to the proposed changes with a view to developing a final set of proposals for adoption by the firm.
• Providing an implementation plan for any proposed changes.
• From time to time reviewing the effectiveness of the revised regime and suggesting refinements to address specific issues that may have arisen.

Mergers - As the legal market changes, a merger can advance the execution of a firm’s strategy, but it is not right for all firms. Accordingly, we:

• Advise law firms on potential merger opportunities including identifying and reviewing potential merger candidates, assisting clients to prioritise potential opportunities and, if appropriate, effecting introductions to potential merger candidates.
• Help to develop a rigorous business case for the potential combination.
• Assist on the structuring of the combination whether by a full economic merger or a verein type structure.
• Conduct cultural and business due diligence to test the compatibility of the two parties and identify potential synergies.
• Act as an advisor throughout the negotiations including the development of solutions to potential impediments to a transaction.
• Conduct “go - no go” analysis from time to time to help to determine whether the discussions should continue.
• Advise on internal and external communications at all stages of the discussions including dealing with leaks of information.
• Assist on the planning and execution of integration plans both pre-and post-closing of the transaction.

2. The International Reach of the Firm

International Development - Many firms want more international clients or to stay relevant to their own clients who operate overseas. There are a range of options to consider concerning international development and we can assist by:

• Reviewing a firm’s existing international offices, membership of legal networks and best friend’s relationships.
• Reviewing the performance and rationale for existing international offices.
• Identifying the countries and s sectors most relevant to the firm and its clients for inward and outbound investment.
• Conducting in-depth research on specific locations to identify a business case for a new office, merger or alliance and the potential candidates for any merger or alliance.
• Project managing the opening of a new office including compliance with appropriate statutory, regulatory and operational aspects.
• Advising on the development and maintenance of an effective best friend’s relationship programme.
• Choosing law firm networks to join and how to get the best out of membership of a network.
• In addition, a range of our offerings in 1, 3 and 4 are applied specifically to international offices to identify and address issues as those offices develop.

3. Running a Successful Law Firm

The Process of Cultural Transformation - A good culture can improve a firm’s performance and reduce risk. We can objectively assess where your culture is and where you want it to be. Cultural transformation is not a project it is a process where we:

• Undertake Leadership Culture Assessments - when leaders transform the organisation transforms.
• Carry out objective cultural values assessment of the whole firm.
• Benchmark as against a firm’s peers.
• Conduct workshops to identify blind spots and unrealised potential.
• Focus on the whole business to obtain personal, structural, values and mission alignment.
• Define the firm’s values and behaviours and develop behavioural statements.
• Establish a cultural development plan.
• Implement corrective actions and leadership development.

Counselling and Mentoring - Any partner assuming a new role or established leaders and managers may need access to a confidential, informed and impartial person outside their firm. We provide:

• A confidential sounding board in relation to that partner’s role, his or her priorities, strategic execution and resolving conflicts.
• Tailored advice on developing that partner’s role, including running a team, effective delegation and conducting appraisals and reviews.
• We provide research materials for use at board and partners meetings and, where appropriate, speak at such meetings to give an outside perspective of the market, market trends, the firm’s standing in the market and its strategic priorities.
• Advice on effectively communicating inside and outside the firm including with the business and legal press.
• Personal advice on whether a partner should seek a particular role or to continue such a role and how any transition may be achieved.
• Advice on a leader’s future roles inside and outside the firm once he or she has stepped down from a leadership position.

Reviews of practice areas and offices - There may be circumstances where a practice area or office is not achieving its full potential. We help by:

• Reviewing the performance of the practice area or office both compared to the performance of other parts of the firm and the firm’s peers in the relevant market.
• Undertaking confidential interviews with partners to understand their practice, client base, motivation and drive.
• Conducting confidential interviews with clients to understand their use of the practice area or office or why they are not using it.
• Developing recommendations for the reinvigoration, refocusing and development of the practice group, or, in extreme cases, its divestment or closure.
• Assisting in the implementation of the agreed plan including a range of internal and external communication.

Succession Planning - As a baby boomer generation of lawyers starts to retire it is increasingly urgent for firms to understand and plan for the succession issues that will arise both in the management of the firm and the conduct of client relationships. We assist firms to:

• Identify the areas of concern and to develop plans to mitigate any such retirements.
• Develop an open and constructive process for discussions with the more senior partners to identify their objectives and to develop a timetable that ensures that they continue to be valued and eventually retire as ambassadors for the firm.
• Identify potential internal promotions and any need for external appointments.
• Review the impact of likely retirements on the sustainability of the firm and advise on actions to be taken to protect the firm.
• Advise on special terms for retiring partners including consultancy arrangements.

Change and Transformation Management - Leading a transformation programme requires the ability to manage the whole system change; working with individual, collective, objective and subjective factors. We have expertise in delivering a raft of firm wide strategic projects, including mergers, integrations, global client management processes, improvements to working practices, budgeting tools, matter inception systemisation and cultural transformation. We lead the programmes by helping to:

• Initiate the change (set the stage) - identify the need for it, the firm’s readiness and change vision.
• Plan the change (prepare transformation) – identify skills and knowledge, set the timetable and objectives, develop communication and contingency plans.
• Execute (connect and implement) – monitor, keep vision insight, show flexibility, encourage self-management, collaborate, feedback and provide training.
• Close (run the business and sustain the change) – end old systems and ways of working and capture lessons learned.

Diversity and Inclusion - As firms develop their diversity and inclusion strategies, we are witnessing more pressure to establish and promote new initiatives in competitive commercial environments but the need to show that such initiatives are upheld and promoted effectively. Whether such initiatives are in relation to the client reach, awareness, retention of diverse lawyers or attracting diverse and supportive new partners, we are able to assist a firm to establish:

• Diversity programs that work for the firm.
• Awareness training tailored to the firm’s culture and environment designed to resonate and be consistently applied.
• Setting measurable milestones and objectives at senior and practice area levels.
• Advice on avoiding pitfalls and non-effective measures which risk damaging the firm’s culture.

Financial Reporting and Profitability - A firm’s decision making is dependent on the information it has to base those decisions on and their understanding of it. To help you attain sustainable growth and align your strategy to financial intent we can:

• Undertake a health check on a firm’s financial performance and benchmark it within the legal sector.
• Identify actions to optimise profitability.
• Give training on the firm’s financial drivers and other key aspects of finance.
• Look at reporting structures and ensure they meet requirements.
• Improve processes and reporting for all aspects of finance, including client reports, KPIs, management accounts, forecasts, budgets and plans.
• Review and improve policies and procedures around the financial aspects of the business.
• Improve global working capital management.
• Manage finance and related systems implementations.

4. Developing and Maintaining the Client Base

Client Relationship Management - Law firms and client partners are still consistently struggling to excel at client relationship management. General Counsel and business buyers are still experiencing a huge disconnect between their and their firm's perceptions of the quality of service and care. Surprisingly, this is often after a firm has sought to invest in this area but is still not maximising the opportunity to connect with its clients on a meaningful and consistent basis. Based on decades of experience, we are able to advise you on how to exceed your clients' expectations by:

• Understanding how client service differs from client care and how a few leading global firms are excelling at approaching both.
• Learning how to respond to the main drivers for the business and in-house buyers and how to tailor client care initiatives to your client, sector and industry and obtain detailed feedback on the basics of service, the nuances on relationship, potential for growth and longevity of the relationship and competitor intelligence in the process.
• Understanding the client mindset including the challenges of selling and buying legal services in an increasingly competitive and global environment.
• Guidance on how to revitalise or organise client teams, client relationship management initiatives, client feedback programs and client forums which have true client reach, impact and connection.

Innovative Pricing and Negotiations - With increased client pressure on rates, pricing has become a key factor in business development and managing profitability. We provide advice, training and analysis to improve a firm’s pricing and negotiation capability by looking at how to:

• Pitch to win.
• Price to value.
• Understand the price point, including pricing options.
• Negotiate effectively.
• Manage to price.
• Review the deal and obtain feedback.
• Incentivise innovation.

Delivery of Service - Legal project management is a key factor in optimising profitability and client satisfaction. There is also a strategic imperative to review and improve processes within the firm as, without this, process performance will decline over time. We can help you to:

• Identify quick wins.
• Budget effectively and optimise resource management.
• Maintain the balance between scope, time and cost.
• Reduce and control variances.
• Simplify processes and increase productivity.
• Develop client reports for greater cost transparency.

For General Counsel and In-house legal teams

General counsel are experiencing an unprecedented era of pressures upon their organisations, teams and their own roles. We work closely with some of the leading corporate and global GCs to assist them in all key areas relating to their role and the delivery of their services in a constantly evolving and complex legal and regulatory landscape with growing requirements to facilitate and protect the organisation. Such areas include:

• Present and future proofing the services of the legal team - working closely with the legal team and its priority stakeholders, we will help to identify the key drivers and risks for the organisation and how the legal team is best structured and managed to deliver best industry practices by the better use of resources, technology, external counsel and senior and board level influence. This will help the team to remain proactive and to effortlessly horizon scan as well as to ensure business as usual continuity is maintained and the true value of the team is able to be demonstrated to the senior management and board.
• External Law Firms - meaningful in-house and law firm relationships are still fraught with frustrations and inconsistencies in service delivery, and relationship management. With our inside knowledge of law firm operations, drivers and management we are able to advise and assist legal teams through the entire process of the selection of external law firms, the development and use of appointment criteria, creative fee structuring and the provision of genuine value-added service from which the legal team and organisation will benefit. This guidance is available across the spectrum from formal RFP and panel arrangements to informal and flexible law firm choice.
• General Counsel - the role of the GC is established as one of power and influence at the upper reaches of the organisation and more widely in the legal services industry. The reality however is that GCs are under immense pressures to adapt to increasing accountability, untested new law and regulation, team management demands (including millennials, shrinking budgets, diversity, flexible working and career development to name a few) and external law firm management. Through Strategic Development Guidance and Tailored Confidential Mentoring, we work with GCs on a one-to- one basis to assist them to identify how to navigate the increasingly complex landscape whilst increasing their own expertise, skill set, personal brand and C suite acumen and presence.
• Developing the Legal Team - as the size and capability of the in-house legal team has developed we advise on the career development of the members of the team, the development of a diverse team (in every sense of the word), arrangements for flexible working, secondments to other parts of the business and to or from law firms and the development of effective delegation and communication skills.

Credentials

All of Jomati's work is confidential. However, in relation to transactions in which we have been involved, clients occasionally consent to us mentioning our role alongside a copy of their announcement of the transaction. Below are details of some such transactions.