For Lawyers
I am not a lawyer; you have all the legal expertise you need. Instead, something else is getting in the way. I have long experience of thriving in high stakes, high pressure, relentless roles with demanding clients and never enough time. I have also made huge changes in my life and work and made them work for me.
I can be your thinking partner when you need to make difficult decisions. Unlike many coaches, I don't work within the confines of a single model or theory. Nor do I have a view of the world to sell. Instead, I listen with complete focus, and do so sympathetically and rigorously. I offer clients both support and challenge.
I work with lawyers at leading UK firms, as well as those at US firms in London and in-house teams navigating significant challenges.
The UK legal profession is at an unusual moment. The war for talent has pushed salaries to new levels. Firms ask more of their partners and senior associates than ever before. The endurance culture is questioned but often still in place. Legal technology is transforming client expectations, and potentially the economics of law. The pace of change is such that AI seems poised to disrupt the legaltech disruptors — at least those whose competitive advantage is still in their software.
Some areas where I can be helpful include:
- Making the transition to a partner role and finding it quite different from what you expected.
- Managing the people and politics of a practice group, not just the client work.
- Deciding whether to make the push for partnership — or whether a different path serves you better.
- Navigating a career at a crossroads. Your current firm or another? In-house?
Conflicts of interest in coaching are, I believe, both real and under-studied. When I coach someone, I have their interests and well-being in mind. This means confidentiality is a given, as is going wherever the coaching leads. Client, sponsor, and coach should work to align expectations from the start.