| Consulting services you provide: |
| Strategic consulting advice primarily to law firms and in house legal departments. This includes: advice on a range of management and leadership issues, management structures, partner performance and remuneration, profitability improvement, strategic positioning, law firm mergers and acquisitions, post merger integration, key client strategies, client relationship management and related issues. Further details are available on www.jomati.com |
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| How did you come to hold your present position (specifically, what led you to become a legal recruiter, marketing consultant, etc.)? |
| I was with Clifford Chance for almost 20 years including 5 years in Hong Kong and 2 years in Moscow. I was elected firmwide managing partner in 1997. I left in 2000 to join Andersen Legal as global managing partner to develop that practice. In 2001 it was one of the top ten law firms in terms of global revenues. However the collapse of Arthur Andersen following Enron necessitated the break up of Andersen Legal which I managed. Following this I decided to establish a strategic consulting business which I did in October 2002. |
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| What is the best thing about working with lawyers? |
| The legal profession is going through a period of profound change both nationally and globally. I'm able to work with the leaders of some of the world's most dynamic firms that are seeking to take advantage of this change. Their needs are both diverse and demanding which enables me to develop a range of deep relationships and a fascinating variety of engagements. |
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| What is the worst thing about working with lawyers? |
| There is a tendency amongst some firms to be very conservative and backward looking and not to seize the opportunities that are available to them. In some cases convincing leaders of firms of the need to change can be extremely challenging. |
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| What has been the most satisfying moment of your career thus far? |
| I've been fortunate to have many satisfying moments including the development of Clifford Chance's Hong Kong corporate practice to a leading position in Hong Kong and developing the Moscow office into a premier firm in Moscow. Although it was not an experience that I would want to repeat the successful deconstruction of Andersen Legal whilst preserving the careers of our lawyers and other staff for which I was awarded partner of the year by The Lawyer Magazine, was extremely satisfying. The establishment of Jomati Consultants as a completely new business was a great challenge and the fact that it has developed a top tier and loyal client base around the world has been a very satisfying personal achievement. |
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| What are your favorite activities outside the law? |
| Watching cricket and horse racing whenever the clients allow me some free time. |
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