Are you part of a boutique law firm looking to change how you work? McLay Legal Consulting can help your law firm getting started or as an extra resource to make headway on a project you want to get finished.
Book a time to talk to me about how I can help you using this link
Innovation projects
strategy and advisory workshops
client interviews to identify customer needs and innovation opportunities
monitor market developments
business case development
project management planing
evaluation of competing software (and vendor) solutions
liaison with vendors, IT consultants and law firms staff before, during and after a project
Tech implementation project management
assess user and client needs and analyse cost/benefit of different available technology solutions
audit existing processes and identify opportunities for improvement and appropriate pilot projects
enlist and work with internal champions to support the implementation
manage objections for less tech savvy users and very busy change-resistant lawyers
use agile project management tools to manage team collaboration
design document automation and workflow automation systems
monitor take up of the new system, training needs and opportunities for continuous improvement
Document automation
business process mapping
designing automation workflows
simplification of precedents and template letters
convert your documents to templates on document automation software
Writing content
Tender responses
producing blogs and content marketing material
customer friendly cost agreements and template scope of works for use in fixed or value pricing
Training
presenting at your office or via webinar on:
easy low cost changes you can make today to improve the way you work
case for changing the way law firms work
effective delegation and managing work load within teams
Speaking
Fiona is an engaging speak who shares actionable tips and insights based on her deep understanding of the legal industry. She has an insider’s knowledge of the barriers to implementing change but uses practical use cases and stories to make tech adoption less daunting.
Contact her about speaking at your next group event or team workshop.
Blog
5 podcasts that will help lawyers keep up
If you are a busy lawyer, mostly still using a phone, email and Word documents every day, how do you penetrate the alarming headlines to focus on what will equip you to flourish in a tech enabled world? How do you make sense of the changes and keep up? These are some of the podcasts I listen to regularly in order to keep up.
How to overcome the challenge of adopting lawtech in law firms
If you feel like you are in a never ending stream of new technology solutions for legal services, you are right. Thomson Reuters reported there has been a 484 percent increase in the number of patents filed covering new legal services technology globally in the last five years.
Useful apps and online resources
A list of useful online and digital resources for Australian lawyers.
About me
Office with a harbour view…
I couldn’t believe my luck when my first job as a lawyer was in a tower office with a spectacular view of Sydney Harbour. I loved the view and I never got tired of it. And I loved the friendly team that that took me under their wing and taught me how to be useful. Like most of the lawyers I have had the pleasure of working with, they cared deeply about getting to the bottom of complex disputes and coming up with a creative solution. We worked for the insurers of professionals who had been sued. It was fascinating work because in each case you needed to understand what that person did (whether it be a mine engineer, brain surgeon, freeway designer or chiropractor) work out what had gone wrong.
I eventually moved on because I wanted to work more closely with individuals who were directly involved in the litigation. I joined a smaller team. We were busy and always running interesting cases in court.
In a small team I became interested in how I could use tech tools to operate more effectively. I was able to manage large scale document discovery single handed using e-discovery tools. I could perform document review, identify potentially privileged documents, prepare chronological bundles and produce accurate detailed lists of documents for a fraction of the cost of using paralegals.
Working in a small team also taught me how to be strategic about the work that was done (and not done) in a dispute. We didn’t have time to chase down every scenario. I worked with my clients to look at their options and identify a plan to achieve their objective within their budget.
Failing to thrive…
One of my clients invited me to a seminar on thriving in the workplace. Over those two days I saw that my bad habits - working too long, not enough exercise and skipping lunch breaks - was quite a common problem.
The idea that a healthy workload, alignment with your personal values and an open collaborative network could make your business more profitable was a bit revolutionary for someone who had been hanging round lawyers so long.
Lawyers are trained to see risks and downsides in any given situation. Law firms are full of people who trend towards introversion and perfectionism. Plus a traditional business model which measures achievement with rigid daily billing targets rather than effective outcomes. It can make it a difficult environment to effect change.
I started to seek out other lawyers who also believed that there were smarter ways to work. Some of them had started NewLaw firms. Some of them were working in traditional law firms. But they all proved that is possible for lawyers to change how they work, to make use of new tools and be flexible about what a successful business looks like.
Most importantly, that it is not compulsory for a successful lawyer to also be miserable.
I believe that today, and in the future, successful lawyers must be more customer-centric and able to work collaboratively. Other professional services have undergone enormous change as a result of digitalisation. I want to be a part of improving the way lawyers operate in a digital enabled world.
I’m still lucky to have a view of the harbour, but now I can see it when I work remotely from my home on the northern beaches. I work flexibly using technology to work paperless and communicate with colleagues regardless of location. I don’t miss the daily commute to the tower.
Resume
I bring strong experience in commercial litigation, professional indemnity and disputed estates. I enjoy grappling with complex facts and legal issues to deliver pragmatic advice focused on achieving my client's commercial objectives.
I enjoy working with a team that employs and develops clever technology to streamline and continuously improve the delivery of legal services – to benefit lawyers, law firms and their clients.
I regularly share real world tips and strategies for new ways of working and tips on what to do (and not to do) to evolve your law firm into new, smarter ways of working. Follow me on Linkedin or subscribe to my mailing list.
To discuss how I could help you implement an automation or legal process improvement on either a project basis or short term contract please get in touch with me on 0422 074 923 or by email at fiona@mclaylegal.com