Managing a Law Firm in the Traditional and Digital Age: A Checklist for Managing Partners and/or Management Teams
Law firm leadership is evolving. Do Managing Partners today have the support they need to compete in both traditional and digital markets?
I wrote this article to explore the changing demands.
Managing a Law Firm in the Traditional and Digital Age
The role of a Managing Partner or senior law firm executive today is broader, more complex, and more dynamic than ever before. As firms continue to operate across both traditional legal channels and increasingly digital platforms, the demands placed upon firm leadership have multiplied.
The strategic oversight needed to run a successful law firm now spans finance, people management, risk, compliance, innovation, technology, marketing, and client development. While internal teams often support specific areas, the Managing Partner and management team carry the burden of aligning everything—and everyone—towards common goals.
Key Management Functions Within a Law Firm
Strategy and Vision Setting the direction for the firm, often balancing heritage and long-standing values with evolving market needs. This includes:
Reviewing and prioritising practice areas
Assessing new market opportunities (e.g., Fintech, ESG, AI)
Defining long-term goals across jurisdictions
Client Relationship Management (CRM) Managing the firm’s most valuable relationships, ensuring consistent service, responsiveness, and targeted business development, and client feedback.
Marketing and Business Development (BD) This includes everything from brand visibility to new client generation, across both traditional and digital channels.
People, Culture, and Recruitment Overseeing team growth, lateral hires, performance management, retention, and succession planning.
Compliance, Risk, and Governance Maintaining standards across jurisdictions and practice areas and ensuring the firm is protected legally and reputationally.
Operations and Technology Managing systems, platforms, internal communications, billing software, data security, AI tools, and legal tech integrations.
UK Reform: A Turning Point
Many law firms continue to treat marketing and BD as ‘soft services’, yet in the UK, reforms have allowed law firms to appoint non-lawyers to their boards recognising the strategic importance of marketing, digital, client insight, and innovation expertise.
Is this your experience? Do you have non-legal expertise represented in your leadership team?
Creating an Effective Marketing Strategy: When, Why, and How
Why create a strategy? To grow, to align resources with revenue potential, to focus on what works, and to elevate the firm’s profile in a competitive market, to raise the bar, to adapt and improve.
When to create it? Ideally annually reviewing performance, setting budgets, refreshing positioning, and aligning goals across practice areas.
How to create it?
Review prior activity: what worked and what did not
Define goals per fee earner, practice area, and jurisdiction
Factor in current and future trends (e.g., AI, ESG)
Research client needs and market demand
Set realistic budgets
Build in flexibility for the unexpected
What has your experience been when drafting your firm’s strategy? Are your internal resources enough?
Legal Directories vs Digital Footprint
Many firms pour enormous effort into rankings, but are directories still the most important validation? Legal Directories still have a role, perhaps it a reduced role or directories to support.
With over 4 million lawyer profiles on LinkedIn, it is arguably the world’s largest legal directory, and it is free. Visibility here, with the right content and connections, can generate meaningful new instructions.
That said, directories still play a vital role in:
Third-party credibility
Helping institutional buyers make decisions
Influencing referrals
What are your views on this? Are directories your priority, or is digital strategy becoming more important? Or both?
What Works in Law Firm Marketing—And What Does Not
What Works:
Sector-specific thought leadership
Genuine engagement on LinkedIn
BD aligned to current trends (e.g., AI, climate, tech regulation)
CRM-driven follow-up and pipeline discipline
What Does Not:
Vanity projects with little ROI
Static, unchanging websites
Annual copy/paste directory submissions
Unclear messaging
Many firms still increase last year’s marketing budget by 5% without revisiting strategy. Those that succeed are those that:
Do the research
Review practice areas
Ask clients for input
Invest in trends like AI with a plan
What About the Future?
As law firms expand into the digital world, the next two years will shape the leaders of the next decade. AI, new fee structures, alternative legal service models, ESG compliance, and global client expectations will drive change.
Are you ready for 2026? Is your firm prepared to open the right doors, avoid the wrong ones, and build for the long-term?
I help firms do exactly that.
Case Studies / Examples
Arendt: Known for strong digital positioning and combining tech with legal advisory.
Simmons & Simmons: Their Fintech and AI pages are good examples of clearly articulated digital-era services.
Mishcon de Reya: Launched Mishcon Future, a platform for innovation and tech adoption.
Final Thoughts
Managing a law firm is not a static exercise. The traditional world of client service, trust and legal rigour must now be combined with digital fluency, proactive marketing, and future-facing strategy. Managing Partners rarely have the time or headspace to tackle everything alone. This is where a trusted external advisor adds real value.
Whether shaping strategy, supporting implementation, or simply being a sounding board, help is on hand to assist firms to reduce practice costs, enhance performance, and remain relevant in both the traditional and digital legal arenas.
The Evolution of Law Firms: Expanding Practice Areas for the Digital Age
As the legal landscape continues to evolve, law firms are increasingly expanding their practice areas to better serve clients operating in both traditional and digital sectors. Forward-thinking firms recognize that digital transformation is not just reshaping industries but also redefining client expectations. To remain competitive, law firms must bridge the gap between traditional legal services and the demands of emerging sectors such as fintech, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
The Rise of New Roles: The Technical Director
To meet these evolving needs, some law firms have created new roles, such as Technical Directors, tasked with identifying and implementing technology that enhances client service. Their responsibilities include:
Leveraging AI and automation to improve legal research, contract analysis, and due diligence, reducing administrative time and increasing billable hours.
Enhancing client communication through digital platforms, ensuring seamless interaction between legal teams and tech-savvy clients.
Implementing data analytics tools to provide strategic insights and risk assessments, strengthening the firm’s advisory capabilities.
This role reflects a broader shift in the industry, where firms that embrace technology-driven solutions gain a competitive edge over those that resist change.
AI in the Legal Workplace: Already Here, Already Used
Many junior associates and legal staff are already integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into their day-to-day work. Some practical applications include:
Drafting contracts and legal documents with AI-assisted efficiency, allowing lawyers to focus on more complex negotiations.
Legal research acceleration, where AI quickly retrieves and summarizes relevant case law, statutes, and precedents.
Client communication and chatbots, helping firms respond to routine inquiries faster, freeing up valuable lawyer time.
While AI adoption is still evolving, firms that formally integrate these tools into their workflows can increase productivity and billable hours while maintaining high-quality service.
Adapt or Lose Market Share: The Digital Shift
Law firms that embrace digital legal services tend to thrive, while those clinging solely to traditional models risk losing clients to more adaptable competitors. For example:
Fintech companies expect their legal counsel to understand both financial regulations and digital innovations such as blockchain and smart contracts.
E-commerce businesses require legal teams well-versed in traditional contract law and digital consumer protection laws.
Cybersecurity firms need legal expertise in corporate compliance and data privacy regulations.
A law firm’s ability to demonstrate equal competency in both traditional and digital spaces is becoming a key differentiator in client retention and acquisition. Firms that fail to keep pace may see their client base shrink over time.
The Tech Dilemma: Full-Time Hire vs. Expert Consultation
Employing a full-time Technical Director is a significant investment. While the role is invaluable, an external expert with a proven track record can offer similar strategic insights without the long-term financial commitment. A no-obligation call with a legal tech expert can yield tangible benefits, such as:
Identifying quick-win technology solutions to improve efficiency and profitability.
Assessing the firm’s current digital readiness and proposing cost-effective innovations.
Offering insights into competitors’ technological investments, ensuring the firm stays ahead.
For many firms, engaging an external consultant provides flexibility and cost efficiency, making it a more practical first step before committing to a full-time hire.
The Value of an External Perspective
Beyond technology, an external advisor can play a pivotal role in shaping a law firm’s overall strategy. Key benefits include:
Reducing practice costs by identifying inefficiencies and optimizing resources.
Increasing revenue streams by exploring new practice areas and innovative billing models.
Conducting practice area reviews to ensure alignment with current and future client needs.
Improving marketing strategy to attract both traditional and digital-sector clients more effectively.
By bringing in an objective expert, firms can identify opportunities, address blind spots, and accelerate growth in ways that internal teams may overlook.
The Path Forward
In an era where legal services are becoming increasingly digitised, law firms must embrace change or risk obsolescence. Expanding practice areas, integrating technology, and seeking external expertise are all strategies that can help firms stay competitive. Whether through hiring a Technical Director or engaging in expert consultation, firms that take proactive steps now will be well-positioned for long-term success in the evolving legal marketplace.
For those looking to explore how technology and strategic insights can drive their firm’s growth, a conversation with an experienced consultant could be the key to unlocking new opportunities.
Do reach out to me to find out more about this important topic:
The Tech Dilemma: Full-Time Hire vs. Expert Consultation
Employing a full-time Technical Director is a significant investment. While the role is invaluable, an external expert with a proven track record can offer similar strategic insights without the long-term financial commitment. A no-obligation call with a legal tech expert can yield tangible benefits, such as:
Identifying quick-win technology solutions to improve efficiency and profitability.
Assessing the firm’s current digital readiness and proposing cost-effective innovations.
Offering insights into competitors’ technological investments, ensuring the firm stays ahead.
For many firms, engaging an external consultant provides flexibility and cost efficiency, making it a more practical first step before committing to a full-time hire.
The Value of an External Perspective
Beyond technology, an external advisor can be pivotal in shaping a law firm’s overall strategy. Key benefits include:
Reducing practice costs by identifying inefficiencies and optimizing resources.
Increasing revenue streams by exploring new practice areas and innovative billing models.
Conducting practice area reviews to ensure alignment with current and future client needs.
Improving marketing strategy to attract both traditional and digital-sector clients more effectively.
By bringing in an objective expert, firms can identify opportunities, address blind spots, and accelerate growth in ways that internal teams may overlook.
Do reach out to me to find out more about this important topic:
Law firms that embrace digital legal services tend to thrive, while those clinging solely to traditional models risk losing clients to more adaptable competitors. For example:
Fintech companies expect their legal counsel to understand both financial regulations and digital innovations such as blockchain and smart contracts.
E-commerce businesses require legal teams well-versed in traditional contract law and digital consumer protection laws.
Cybersecurity firms need legal expertise in corporate compliance and data privacy regulations.
A law firm’s ability to demonstrate equal competency in both traditional and digital spaces is becoming a key differentiator in client retention and acquisition. Firms that fail to keep pace may see their client base shrink over time.
Do reach out to me to find out more about this important topic:
AI in the Legal Workplace: Already Here, Already Used
Many junior associates and legal staff are already integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into their day-to-day work. Some practical applications include:
Drafting contracts and legal documents with AI-assisted efficiency, allowing lawyers to focus on more complex negotiations.
Legal research acceleration, where AI quickly retrieves and summarizes relevant case law, statutes, and precedents.
Client communication and chatbots, helping firms respond to routine inquiries faster, freeing up valuable lawyer time.
While AI adoption is still evolving, firms that formally integrate these tools into their workflows can increase productivity and billable hours while maintaining high-quality service.
Do reach out to me to find out more about this important topic:
