Avoiding juristic park: how to kick-start your law firm in the post Covid-19 world

Jaap Bosman

Jaap Bosman is an award-winning strategy consultant and an investor. He is founder and CEO of TGO Consulting a strategy consulting boutique for the legal sector which operates from New York, The Hague and Hong Kong.

His achievements have been recognized in 2013 by the Financial Times with the first ever Innovative Lawyers Award for International Strategy. He is also a winner of the Thomson Reuters Excellence in Legal Marketing Award.

His 2015 book on the future of the legal profession ‘Death of a Law Firm’ is published by the American Bar Association. It has also been translated into Chinese and has become a global bestseller.

In 2019 Jaap published 'Data & Dialogue, a relationship redefined'. This book, co-authored by Vincent Cordo, describes in great detail the relationship between companies (clients) and their lawyers. The book provides for the first time a usable model to establish what is 'value'. It outlines how and why the sector will move away from time-based-billing.

May 2020 Jaap will publish a book on how law firms should navigate the current economic crisis. The book is co-written by Lisa Håkanson. Jaap is an engaging speaker and is widely considered one of the worlds’ thought leaders on the future of the business of law. He is a regular contributor to the ABA Journal and other leading publications across the world including China.

Anne Louise Macdonald

Anne is a Partner and Head of Business Development at Harper Macleod LLP in Scotland. Anne is also the Lead Partner for the HM Connect legal and support referral network. HM Connect operates via Harper Macleod offering its full complement of legal services and expertise to high street & rural law firms on a fee-sharing, non client poaching basis. HM Connect has over 380 member firms located across the length and breadth of Scotland. Anne set up HM Connect in 2008 and has since developed HM Connect into Scotland's leading referral network, with over 33% of all legal firms in Scotland.

Anne's role within Harper Macleod is to ensure a strong working knowledge of the Scottish & global legal market and in particular high street and rural firms. Anne is regularly asked to present on collaborative work practices and business development for law firms. Most recently Anne was a guest speaker at Law Society of Scotland Practice Management Course speaking on the topic of duties of a partner and at the IBA LFMC Building the Law Firm of the Future Conference in November 2019.

In addition, Anne holds the following positions:

• Chair of BD&M Sub-Committee of LFMC
• Council member for Glasgow and Strathkelvin for the Council of the Law Society of Scotland, serving second term via contested election.
• Member of the Client Protection Fund Sub-Committee of the Law Society of Scotland
• Member of the Professional Practice Committee of the Law Society of Scotland