Co-Chair
Anne Macdonald
Co-Chair
Paul Marmor
Law Firm Management Committee
The mission of the Law Firm Management Committee is to be a leading global forum for the exchange of best practices in law practice leadership and management through sharing and discussing concepts, experience, knowledge and trends on law firm and law practice management issues and topics.
About the Committee
The Committee’s diverse membership is drawn from the profession around the world and from firms of all sizes and areas of practice.
The Committee pursues its mission through a number of activities including the annual IBA conference at which the Committee regularly offers a wide range of sessions addressing current top-of-mind issues; regional conferences, generally in coordination with the IBA's regional fora, which address current law firm management issues of regional interest; webinar programs; e-bulletins; and our publications and other material accessible to members on our website.
Paul Marmor, co-chair of the Law Firm Management Committee discusses why you should join the committee.
Once you join the Committee, you may actively contribute to its work by:
- Joining one of the Committee’s five subcommittees: Strategy and Finance; Business Development and Marketing; Talent and Leadership; Knowledge Management and IT; or Small and Medium Firms;
- Contributing to Law Firm Management publications including the e-bulletins; and
- More generally, sharing your own know-how while learning from others and participating actively at IBA conferences and the committee events and initiatives including its webinars.
ESG Toolkit for Law Firms
The Law Firm Management Committee has prepared an ESG Toolkit to help members understand the scope and importance of ESG from a law firm management perspective, have an easy tool to self-analyse their firm’s current ESG compatibility and have ready guidance on what steps and actions need to be taken for efficiently integrating ESG and further improving their firm’s overall ESG compatibility.
Business Development and Marketing Subcommittee 'how to' guides
Written by members, these practical guides share a wealth and breadth of experience on legal business development and marketing topics, with new guides being published each month.
IBA Annual Conference: top tips, Business Development and Marketing Subcommittee guide, September 2023
This article states how to get the most of our the IBA Annual Conference
IBA Global Showcase: top tips, October 2021
This article contains some top tips so readers can make the most of the IBA Global Showcase.
Returning to in-person business development? August 2021
This article examines the prospect of returning to in-person business development, as some jurisdictions start going back into the office and others rethink office plans in the face of further waves of Covid-19.
How to bid successfully, July 2021
Bids, tenders and pitching for work is part of life for every law firm. However, firms that don’t have a clear bids strategy and process, aligned to the firm’s growth plans can spend a lot of time and money with little return. This guide shares some top tips to help improve your bid and pitch win rate.
How to make the transition from face-to-face to virtual meetings, June 2021
Particularly in the legal profession, having face-to-face meetings are essential to build up and maintain a relationship with clients, members of staff and other persons important to your practice. For most of us this has changed drastically overnight when working from home became the norm.
Hosting client events virtually, May 2021
Social distancing and travel restrictions means attending face-to-face conferences and networking events are on pause for the near future. More and more events and conferences are becoming virtual, which means a change in tactics when it comes to hosting, attending and networking.
Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences
Navigating personal and professional growth in the legal industry: session one, bridging the gap from senior associate to partner
29 Apr 2025 1300 - 1400 BST
Webinar
IBA Law Firm Management Committee Academy for Leaders
22 Jul - 25 Jul 2025
London , England
Law Firm Management Committee Latin America Conference - Building the law firm of the future
08 Sep - 09 Sep 2025
São Paulo , Brazil
IBA Annual Conference Toronto 2025
02 Nov - 07 Nov 2025
Toronto , Canada
Building the Law Firm of the Future
27 Nov 2025
London , England
IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026
04 Oct - 09 Oct 2026
Copenhagen , Denmark
Publications
ESG Survey 2024 – analysis and discussion
The third consecutive annual survey conducted by the IBA Law Firm Management ESG Subcommittee.
Released on Sep 04, 2024
Law Firm Management Committee – reports from 2023 IBA Annual Conference in Paris
This report recaps some of the highlights of the Law Firm Management Committee sessions at the 2023 IBA Annual Conference.
Released on Feb 23, 2024
Webinar report: ‘How women can be rainmakers and control their destiny’
This article is a recap of the webinar titled ‘How women can be rainmakers and control their destiny’, which took place on 16 May 2023 and was presented by the IBA Law Firm Management Committee, with support from the IBA Women Lawyers’ Committee and IBA Young Lawyers’ Committee.
Released on Jun 07, 2023
Reports
Our report from Annual Conference Paris 2023
The following items recap a few of the wonderful programs put together by the Law Firm Management Committee at the 2023 Annual Conference in Paris.
Join us on LinkedIn
If you are a member of the Law Firm Management Committee, for additional networking opportunities, programs, interviews with fellow members and tips all exclusive to LFMC members, join our LinkedIn page.
Covid-19
Covid-19 crisis management and law firms
As the world of work changed in response to Covid-19, law firms have adapted to the situation.
Highly experienced law firm leaders from around the globe discuss the challenges and steps taken – from the technological to the logistical, from managing staff wellbeing and communications to responding to client demands.
Covid-19 guidelines and information for law firms
The Law Firm Management Committee has provided members with guidelines and information for law firms in relation to Covid-19, to stimulate thought and action.
IBA Law Firm Governance Initiative: Best Practice Guidelines
Law Firm Management Committee Publications
The Law Firm Management Committee welcomes articles from all members. To submit an article for publication, email the relevant committee officer.
Subcommittees
- Business Development and Marketing Subcommittee
The Subcommittee aims to educate, share best practices, and raise the profiles of those in business development and marketing roles within law firms. The Subcommittee provides strategies, tools, and education for lawyers and professionals at various stages of their careers. The Subcommittee collaborates with LFMC, IBA committees, and external partners, offering expertise on marketing and communications. Planned activities include webinars, surveys, conferences, strategy papers, podcasts, and content for the IBA LFMC LinkedIn page. The Subcommittee also develops toolkits and shares knowledge on BDM topics through various communication channels. - Strategy & Finance Subcommittee
The Strategy and Finance Subcommittee serves as a forum for law firm leaders, CFOs, and management to share knowledge on strategy and financial best practices. Planned activities include producing a "strategy road map" to guide law firms in strategic planning, holding a panel on trends in strategic planning at the IBA annual meeting, hosting two webinars on law firm financing and strategic planning, and creating a LinkedIn profile for the LFMC Strategy and Finance Subcommittee to foster discussions and information sharing on law firm strategy and finance. - Small and Medium Law Firms
The Small and Medium Firm Subcommittee focuses on representing small and medium firms within the LFMC and providing resources on law firm management, including strategy, finance, business development, and more. Planned activities include attracting new members through active inclusion and communication, producing practical guides on key issues, ensuring the small and medium firm perspective in newsletters and materials, organising specialised webinars, and collaborating with LFMC conference organisers to offer sessions and speakers that highlight this perspective. The Subcommittee aims to support and advocate for the unique needs of small and medium firms in law firm management. - AI & Technology Subcommittee
The AI & Technology Subcommittee focuses on practical aspects of AI use in law firms, promoting knowledge sharing and awareness within the LFMC. Plans include conducting a survey on AI use in LFMC firms to assess technology status, concerns, and expectations; hosting an AI prompt engineer session to introduce AI technology for lawyers; organising a General Interest Session at the IBA Global Conference on AI's impact on law firms; and holding quarterly "Café sessions" for law firm practitioners to share their experiences and demonstrate AI tools. The goal is to explore AI’s transformative role in legal practices. - CEO Subcommittee
The CEO Subcommittee focuses on sharing knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of legal business executives in law firms, including CEOs, CFOs, and COOs. The Subcommittee aims to bridge the gap between fee earners and executives, offering a platform for discussing best practices, trends, and challenges. Activities for 2025 include quarterly online meetings, organising at least one webinar per year on law firm management, and sharing insights and articles with LFMC members. The Subcommittee also monitors trends and regulations impacting legal business executives and their roles in managing law firms amidst ongoing changes and challenges. - Talent and Leadership Subcommittee
The Talent and Leadership Subcommittee focuses on addressing challenges in talent retention and leadership within law firms. The Subcommittee aims to explore strategies beyond competitive salaries to attract and retain talent and provide a forum for discussing and solving retention issues. Planned activities include engaging HR professionals and leadership from LFMC and IBA member firms, hosting bi-monthly video conferences for updates and best practices, launching a survey on talent retention challenges, organising a webinar to discuss survey findings, and establishing a thought leadership initiative with experts to tackle retention challenges in the legal sector. - ESG Subcommittee
The ESG Subcommittee focuses on developing ESG strategies and policies within law firms. The Subcommittee meets monthly to discuss projects, ESG developments, and share insights. Planned activities include updating the ESG Toolkit with a focus on wellbeing, hosting webinars on ESG in a changing geopolitical environment and the US presidential elections’ impact, participating in the IBA Balkan Legal Forum with a session on ESG’s role in law firm success, conducting an ESG survey, preparing case studies on upskilling lawyers and ESG in client intake, and organising a webinar on ESG challenges for small and medium-sized law firms with the European Regional Forum.