The traditional law firm is facing a turning point. Your mindest and culture can become the rocket fuel or the road block to the course and success of your future.
Why law firms come...
Client experience
We need to up our game in terms of client relationships. The pressure is on to hold on to clients and up our billings - and for that we need to be real people, able to connect and collaborate, not just serve or seek to impress with our intellect.
Team dynamics
By and large our culture is good. We're supportive to our colleagues. But we can do more to humanise our firm. We want all our people to be able to feel safe and work to be themselves and bring all of thier potential. It's what will give us the competitve edge in the next era of law.
High performance
We have a raft of employee benefits but want to embed personal development into the day-to-day life of our firm. People don't turn to Bupa when they're having issues with their boss. We want our colleagues to have somewhere relatable to go for reflection, growth and support with the daily grind.
Drop in revenue
Drop in law firm revenue growth in 2024. "It is not sustainable to keep increasing billable targets and fees per billable hour. "Clients have begun to seek alternative fee arrangements to the standard billable hour model, which 'encourages inefficiency'. Firms may have to optimise new ways to grow with the decline of the billable hour. (Lexis Nexis. 2023).
Increase in target hours
Law firms increased their target hours for lawyers (2022, Bighand). However, the most effective groups spend 75% of their time on the task and 25% on 'group maintenance' - communication, ensuring everyone is heard, checking in.
Feel anxious or depressed
Lawyers experience mental health challenges - most commonly anxiety & depression.
The results
The Circle Line are so responsive.
"The Circle Line are so responsive to our needs...The high quality of their workshops, therapy and the research behind them, make them a really useful tool for the while team. - Charly Young MBE."
A resounding 10!
"On a scale of 1 to 10, I felt a zero at the start (before joining The Circle Line). However, after several sessions, my answer grew to a 4, then 6, and now a resounding 10! I feel so much better and complete. I do still have days which are difficult, but I have tools and processes to lean on when those days happen. Thank you Circle Line for what you do." - David, 38.
The Experts
Philippa Richardson
Founder & Transactional Analyst Psychotherapist
“I think there comes a time in most of our lives where we need something more; support, a change, some answers. Whether you're here for help in your personal life or with managing clients, delegating or leading, the quality of your interactions will influence the quality of your life. Master the art of the transaction and the world is your oyster. ”
Transactional Analysis ("TA") is psychology's best kept secret. I discovered it when I was a head of marketing and, as an analytical ex-lawyer, it immediately appealed. What I discovered changed my life.
TA is your own personal 360 review. It gives you a framework of tools, or models, to understand and improve your relationships and internal processes, revealing the patterns that limit you.
It's one of the cornerstones of modern psychology. Empirically-developed over 70 years, becoming internationally recognised.
There are only 900 Transactional Analysts in the UK (the TA qualification takes 3-5 years).
The Circle Line has the only digital TA platform in the world, where I’ve distilled the canon of decades of work into 12 Tools.
Will Daniel-Braham
Leadership Coach & Transactional Analysis Psychotherapist
"I have over 25 years of experience delivering training and developing leaders and CEO's from start-ups to large organisations. I’ve worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors with leaders from HSBC, Ernst & Young, Stella McCartney, Morgan Stanley to UNICEF and the Fire Brigade.
I also featured as a coach in Channel 4 documentary, 'Ballet Changed my Life' supporting the development of a group of marginalised young people to perform Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet, alongside Birmingham Royal Ballet.
I'm a go-getter, love technology and have been instrumental in the development of small start ups and larger SME’s through coaching, training and the development of staff, managers and leaders."
Craft your membership.
Becoming a member of The Circle Line makes you part of a special community of progressive companies. Customising your membership gives you focus and flexibility.
What’s your goal?
Law teams usually come to us for one of these reasons...
1- Boost working relationships
Clients who come, and come back. Colleagues who soar, and stay. It takes connection, open communication and authenticity.
Your bespoke package
1:1 Development
1:1 Leadership Development
1:1 Executive Therapy
Personality profiling & 12 Tools
Mediation
Personal Development Pod
Sessions rated 9/10
Experiential Training
Leadership Retreat
Culture Pod
Group Workshops
Team Away Day
Mandatory manager training
52% of employees engage with our work
Educate & Engage
Engagement programme
Culture Pod
Personality profiling & 12 Tools
Webinars
The Circle Line magazine
86% of employees return for more
A new era in city law
The Circle Line magazine, special edition
City law firms are some of the highest pressure, highest earning organisations on the planet. This issue of our magazine offers many cultural insights for any high-performance company.
3 key challenges emerged around perfectionism, workload, and creating a climate of empathy vs fear.
Some nuggets that stood out:
"Excellence vs nice is a false dichotomy."
"We have to educate colleagues to deliver their best work without suffering."
"We're scared to have honest conversations with clients."
Big thanks to all featured contributors for their insights and honesty, to DAC Beachcroft and Herbert Smith Freehills for hosting the roundtables, and to the many lawyers we spoke to "off the record" who added colour and depth.
Want to explore further? Read and download our magazine.
With our Founder Pip being a former litigator herself, we are particularly interested in professional service mindset and culture – hence this specialism.
Pip has been asked to contribute to a book on this subject, so we remain keen to hear from lawyers and professional services consultants about your career choices and experiences of your firm's culture. Drop her a message if you are interested – on or off the record – at pip@thecircleline.co.uk.