This week saw the inaugural Legal Advisers & Suppliers +1 Conference in Australia, hosted by Macquarie Bank in their Barangaroo, Sydney office.
The event was emceed by Alistair Marshall, Director of Professional Services Business Development along with David Gilroy from Conscious Solutions in the UK where the event has been run successfully for a number of years.
Innovation in industry events is rare and this drove the idea for a conference where advisers and suppliers dedicated to providing value to the legal industry, all bring along guests from a client law firm.
The result was a day attended by dozens of interested parties, building valuable networks whilst learning from the lived experiences of other similar firms and suppliers.
Presentations saw delegates take in vital insights around key issues facing the profession such as attraction & retention of staff, remote working, Artificial Intelligence and the affects of technology, hybrid working and changing needs for office space, how to make the most from LinkedIn and the rise in cyber criminals and key risks facing the legal profession and how to mitigate them.
Matt Bolle, Head of Legal at Macquarie Bank presented an in-depth financial benchmarking study to highlight where firms are up to post covid and international author & speaker Garie Dooley delivered a hugely thought provoking keynote on leadership entitled ‘What high performing sports coaches know that law firm leaders do not.’
There was also a panel session asking law firm leaders from Rankin Ellison, Hall Payne and Cowell Clarke about growth strategies, upcoming anti money laundering regulations, ideal firm structures, CRM systems, innovative staff retention ideas, how suppliers should and should not reach out to them and much more.
Networking drinks followed before moving on for dinner at a nearby waterside restaurant.
A memorable takeaway from the keynote that we can all learn from was that law firm culture is about the behaviours that you tolerate and reward and that culture is not built in a day, but it is built daily.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and delegates requesting that this format becomes a regular event in the calendar.
Huge thanks to all those who ‘believed’ and made it such a rewarding and inspirational day.