Page 224 - 2019 - Leaders in Legal Business (j)
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Consulting and Advisory Services
Gerry Riskin1
Principal, Edge International
“Oh, so you’re a consultant.”
“We phoned you because we need help,” they’ll say. Those on the other end of this call are
typically intelligent, caring lawyers involved in the leadership of their firm. They call with the
optimism that maybe you can help. The caution they feel obliged to frequently offer is that the
firm had a consultant before, and everyone hated her/him, so it is not clear that it would be safe to
bring back another one. Often, I will get a pass because I am a former practicing lawyer and
managing partner of an international firm. Maybe I will be safe, after all... It’s far from certain, but
possibly worth exploring.
Planning
Many law firms don’t have a plan. Some
think they have a plan, but if you ask them what it
is, they don’t know. Jargon puts most firms off. If
you mention “strategic planning,” many will tell
you they tried that six years ago, and it was a
complete failure. If we can get the jargon out of the
discussion, we find that a firm typically has things
it hopes to accomplish. If they believe that you can
help them, they are willing to explore possibilities.
Planning is a process. Once the leadership
has signed off on the process with the optimism that it will attain its objectives, people tend to
cooperate to a significant degree because it seems useful enough, and we avoided calling it
“strategic planning.”
Executing the Plan
1 Gerry Riskin is a Canadian lawyer and business school graduate with a global reputation as an author, management consultant, and pioneer in
the field of professional firm economics and marketing. After winning two Queen Elizabeth Scholarships, he began practicing law in 1973. In 1979,
he became a partner with Emery Jamieson and then in 1984 the managing partner of Snyder & Company.
In 1983, Gerry co-founded The Edge Group, which in January 2001 evolved into Edge International. Over the company’s history it has topped
the list in a survey depicting the most popular marketing consultants by major U.S. firms and has been named one of the top three legal consultancies
by U.S. managing partners.
Gerry has served on the Conference Board of Canada, is a visiting fellow of The College of Law in London, a visiting professor at the University
of Pretoria in South Africa, and is a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management.
209
Gerry Riskin1
Principal, Edge International
“Oh, so you’re a consultant.”
“We phoned you because we need help,” they’ll say. Those on the other end of this call are
typically intelligent, caring lawyers involved in the leadership of their firm. They call with the
optimism that maybe you can help. The caution they feel obliged to frequently offer is that the
firm had a consultant before, and everyone hated her/him, so it is not clear that it would be safe to
bring back another one. Often, I will get a pass because I am a former practicing lawyer and
managing partner of an international firm. Maybe I will be safe, after all... It’s far from certain, but
possibly worth exploring.
Planning
Many law firms don’t have a plan. Some
think they have a plan, but if you ask them what it
is, they don’t know. Jargon puts most firms off. If
you mention “strategic planning,” many will tell
you they tried that six years ago, and it was a
complete failure. If we can get the jargon out of the
discussion, we find that a firm typically has things
it hopes to accomplish. If they believe that you can
help them, they are willing to explore possibilities.
Planning is a process. Once the leadership
has signed off on the process with the optimism that it will attain its objectives, people tend to
cooperate to a significant degree because it seems useful enough, and we avoided calling it
“strategic planning.”
Executing the Plan
1 Gerry Riskin is a Canadian lawyer and business school graduate with a global reputation as an author, management consultant, and pioneer in
the field of professional firm economics and marketing. After winning two Queen Elizabeth Scholarships, he began practicing law in 1973. In 1979,
he became a partner with Emery Jamieson and then in 1984 the managing partner of Snyder & Company.
In 1983, Gerry co-founded The Edge Group, which in January 2001 evolved into Edge International. Over the company’s history it has topped
the list in a survey depicting the most popular marketing consultants by major U.S. firms and has been named one of the top three legal consultancies
by U.S. managing partners.
Gerry has served on the Conference Board of Canada, is a visiting fellow of The College of Law in London, a visiting professor at the University
of Pretoria in South Africa, and is a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management.
209
