It should come as no surprise that my most sought after post for this year is one about leadership excellence – in a time when many of us are trying to find our way in uncharted waters, seeking advice from someone with a tried and true philosophy can feel comforting and stabilizing.

While it’s no secret that Disney has had their ups and downs this year too (how could they not, being in the tourism industry during such a unique period?), their translatable philosophy still holds a lot of wisdom for the rest of us. I wanted to share some of the highlights with you again, in the context of the current environment. This advice comes from a presentation that Jeff Williford from the Disney Institute gave several years ago, but still holds true today. Continue Reading Leadership Excellence in the Time of COVID – the Disney Philosophy we Need

Uday Ahlawat is co-managing partner of Ahlawat & Associates in New Delhi, India and a member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, we discuss emphasizing wellness for the whole lawyer to make us all better professionals, the idea of remote working versus working from home during a pandemic, and how a firm’s ability to generalize may help them survive a pandemic and market downturn. Tune in here! Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 13: Uday Ahlawat | Ahlawat & Associates

We’re thrilled to welcome a new member firm, Kalus Kenny Intelex, an Australian firm based in Melbourne!

Kalus Kenny Intelex (KKI) is a progressive, commercially oriented firm, specializing in property, corporate and commercial, and dispute resolution. Their lawyers offer outstanding commercial and legal experience in several key industries, providing clear, commercial advice and strategies. They share their clients’ successes by becoming a true strategic partner in their pursuits, and always seek to deliver more value by offering business outcomes in addition to legal advice. Their personal and proactive approach, combined with a straightforward nature, makes them a different kind of law firm. For over 25 years, they have been providing expert legal and proactive strategic advice for some of Melbourne’s most successful property developers, entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Continue Reading International Lawyers Network Welcomes New Member in Australia

As we edge towards the end of the third quarter of 2020 and a great deal of uncertainty still remains, the one conversation I’m having over and over again with lawyers is around how to keep current clients happy and bring in new work with them. While we’ve already addressed the importance of business development activities here on Zen, we haven’t talked much about client retention, which is clearly also essential – we all know the adage that it’s cheaper to keep a current client than to do the work of bringing on a new one.

Some of us may be walking on eggshells at the moment, hoping that if we are just quiet enough, clients will be grateful that we’re here and keep using us as they have been without making any changes. But I think we can all recognize that that’s a false hope. We’re ALL under increased pressure to find ways to cut costs and show more value. Lawyers who are able to have an open and honest conversation with their clients about the ways in which they’re doing this will be the ones who continue to be valued business partners of their clients – now, and in the future as the market picks back up. So, how do we do this? Continue Reading Client Retention: Tips for the Pandemic’s Secret Weapon

The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, PlasBossinade Advocaten N.V., the Netherlands!
PlasBossinade is a full-service law firm and one of the leading legal service providers in the Northern Netherlands. The firm looks after legal matters of a lot of large scale and smaller enterprises, public authorities, institutions and private persons in the Northern Netherlands and beyond. PlasBossinade provides clear, strategic and creative advice with a realistic view at the possibilities, risks and costs.

Continue Reading ILN Firm of the Month: PlasBossinade Advocaten N.V., the Netherlands!

Marie Macdonald is Chairman of Miller Samuel Hill Brown, in Glasgow, Scotland, a member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, we talk about the importance of communication throughout a crisis (be it pandemic or otherwise), how lessons learned in 2008/2009 prepared her to face the challenges of 2020, and the long-lasting impacts of this year. Tune in below! Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 12: Marie Macdonald | Miller Samuel Hill Brown

It’s true – running an organization that is built on in-person personal relationships has it’s challenges. But what doesn’t have its challenges in 2020, right?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about how lawyers and law firms can leverage their referral networks to achieve more value, whether these networks are formal or informal (I happen to run a formal one). There’s no reason that this has to stop because in-person events have been put on pause; in fact, many of our members have said they’ve never felt their membership has been more valuable than it has been this year. In part, that’s due to the historical relationships that they’ve built over many years. But we’re welcoming new firms too. And it’s possible to forge new relationships and create new business – it simply takes a little creativity. Continue Reading Leveraging Your Referral Network for More Value…During a Pandemic

Bruce Feuchter is a partner with Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Southern California law firm and member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, Lindsay and Bruce chat about the challenges of business development in a pandemic, why phone calls are better than email when it comes to your clients, and how to engage with your lawyers and professionals over the challenging issues that arise as part of a pandemic. Listen here! Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 11: Bruce Feuchter | Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

Last week, I mentioned that I’d had the chance to sit down with LexBlog’s Bob Ambrogi to discuss all things ILN, podcasting, blogging and more. I wanted to share the full interview with you this week. You can check out a written digest of some of the highlights of the interview here, or watch the full conversation below:

Juan Pablo Schwencke is the founding partner of Schwencke & Cia, a Chilean law firm and member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, Lindsay and JP talk about launching a new firm in the midst of a pandemic, the pressures that a leader faces in the current moment, and why JP asks the members of his firm to give just 15% more. Tune in by clicking below!