Law firms are complex businesses, populated by individuals, serving sophisticated clients. External factors, ranging from Sir David Clementi’s proposed reforms for the legal profession, to the commoditisation of certain areas of legal work, are increasing the challenges of managing a successful law firm, as well as the challenges of succeeding as a lawyer working within one. Internal factors – such as the increasing demands for a work-life balance from a new generation of lawyers – make supporting the firm and its lawyers, to deliver excellent client service, increasingly important.
Last year, in order to respond to these pressures, to meet clients’ demands and to support the fee earners’ people-related needs, CMS Cameron McKenna reorganised three of its support groups – its human resources (HR), training and know-how teams – into a single people and development (P&D) group. This single group now offers integrated support services across all people-related activities within the firm, from the recruitment and development of graduate trainees, through their ongoing personal career development needs, to the retirement of the firm’s senior partners.
