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We are delighted to share the second in our Law Firm Founder Conversations podcast series, in which our Managing Partner Clare Murray discusses all things Law Firm Founder with Joydeep Hor, Founder and Managing Principal of leading Australian employment law firm and management consulting business, People + Culture Strategies (PCS). PCS is a trusted adviser to Australian and international employers of all sizes and across all industries, advising on employment law as well as HR strategy and training on workplace issues. As a graduate of the Harvard Owner President Management Program, Joydeep Hor of PCS is a deep thinker on business issues affecting law firm founders. In this podcast, Clare and Joydeep explore a wide range of strategic issues, practical experiences and personal challenges and highlights in setting up and building a thriving law firm from the ground up, including: What are the qualities and skills that make for a successful law firm founder? (@1:13 mins) Leadership as a founder: Balancing the

Rapid technological developments have made, and will continue to make, a significant impact on professional service firms by changing the way in which they devise new business models, replace distribution channels, and modify and adapt the way people and businesses interact with each other. Everybody has an opinion about how professional services are evolving, and how “firms of the future” might be different to those of today. In the legal sector, which is arguably less ‘transformed’ than some of the other professions so far, many firms view this topic with some trepidation. In this webinar recording, we look at whether artificial intelligence (AI) will actually replace lawyers and, if so, are there ethical or moral dilemmas that should be considered regarding AI and the legal industry? In this webinar, you can hear Chair, Rob Millard, Director of the Cambridge Strategy Group and speakers, Tara Chittenden and Dr Kion Ahadi, of the Law Society of England & Wales (LSE&W), discuss issues including the followin

We are delighted to share the first in our Law Firm Founder Conversations podcast series, in which our Managing Partner Clare Murray discusses all things Law Firm Founder with Laura Devine, Founder and Managing Partner of leading international immigrational law specialists, Laura Devine Solicitors (LDS), with offices in London and New York. LDS has top tier rankings in the legal directories and Laura herself is the recipient of international awards both as an immigration specialist and as a very successful entrepreneur. In their conversation, Clare and Laura cover a lot of ground discussing, from their first-hand experience, some of the opportunities and challenges of setting up, growing and managing a law firm, including: - Why set up your own law firm and why, as a founder, it is important to have a clear strategic vision and focus (@1:28 mins) - Reconciling the tension between protecting the culture of your firm and building its growth (@5:24 mins) - Self-funding vs external borrowing: What resources an

As we approach the end of Black History Month (“BHM”), an event that has been celebrated in the UK every October for more than 30 years, Partner, Emma Bartlett, and Associate, Pooja Dasgupta, reflect on what BHM means to them, and why it is so important to celebrate it. In this discussion, building on this year’s BHM theme of “Proud To Be”, Emma and Pooja are joined by Ida Mwangi, a participant in our most recent CM Murray Virtual Internship, who shares her fascinating personal insights and family history with us in this podcast, representing the importance of listening and learning from our colleagues and friends’ experiences, not only during Black History Month, but throughout the year. Emma, Pooja and Ida discuss the importance of education in shaping the views of young people from as early an age as possible to encourage awareness of the challenges and achievements of those who have paved the way for equality and diversity and have fought for lasting and meaningful change. We have set out below link

We are delighted to bring you the fourth episode of our podcast series on Board diversity and how it has progressed over recent years. In this episode, Emma Bartlett, Partner at CM Murray LLP and Teresa L. Johnson, Partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP in San Francisco, interview guest speaker Olivia Morgan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the California Partners Project (CPP), a renowned figure in the US in creating, developing and leading innovative programs to recognise unmet social needs and marginalised voices in US public policy and society. In this next episode in our joint podcast series on Board Diversity, our partner Emma Bartlett and Teresa L. Johnson, Partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP in San Francisco, talk with Olivia Morgan of the California Partners Project about: - How the California board diversity law has played out to date, in particular: - The significant increase in the number of women on Californian boards since its introduction; - If all companies were to fully co

Earlier this summer, the Treasury launched a consultation to reform taxation for self-employed businesses where the accounting year for the business differs from the tax year. Under the proposals, the transition for the change was due to take place in 2022/23, however last week the Treasury announced a delay by at least 12 months with the transition not coming into effect before 2023/24. In addition, the Government recently announced a new health and social care levy by increasing National Insurance Contributions by 1.25% to take effect from 6 April 2022, before the Budget announcement on 27 October. In this webinar, you can hear Chair Claire Watkins, Buzzacott LLP, and speakers Zulon Begum, CM Murray LLP, Corinne Staves, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP, James Currie, Buzzacott LLP, and Rob Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group discuss the following: 1. How important it is for firms and partners to understand that taking advantage of the transitional period for the Base Period reform could result in their paying sub

We are delighted to bring you the third episode of our mini podcast series on board diversity and how it has progressed over recent years. Teresa L. Johnson, Partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP in San Francisco, joins Partner Emma Bartlett to discuss the drivers for change to diversity on boards that are currently taking place and the impact these will have. In this episode, Teresa and Emma discuss the following: The impact on board diversity following NASDAQ’s approval of new board diversity regulations and, in the UK, the FCA’s progressive proposals for board diversity for certain financial sector organisations. Both the US and UK follow the ‘comply or explain’ method of implementing the changes. How the FCA changes will lead the way for other industries and regulators in the UK. The proposed changes include: A voluntary target of 40% of the board to be made up of women, including those identifying as women; At least one senior board position should be held by a woman; At least one member of the bo

Domestic abuse hit the headlines in 2020 as reported incidence spiked to 2.4 million, with the United Nations declaring it an emergency. In January 2021, Business Minister Paul Scully made a 'call to action' to all UK employers to do more to help their colleagues who may be the victims of domestic abuse.  In this podcast, our Partner Emma Bartlett is joined by expert on economic abuse as it occurs within the context of coercive control, Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE (Founder and CEO of charity Surviving Economic Abuse), safety and technology specialist Mikkel Dissing (CEO of Pan!cGuard Ltd) and our Senior Consultant, Pia Sanchez, to discuss employers’ obligations to help colleagues who are victims of domestic abuse as part of existing health and safety legislation. If you have any questions arising from this alert, or for specific legal advice on particular circumstances, please contact our Partner Emma Bartlett (emma.bartlett@cm-murray.com), who specialises in employment and partnership issues for multinationa

We are pleased to share with you the recording from our recent Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) expert discussion, ‘Personal Risk Management for Partners’. Partners of professional practices spend their entire careers focused on the protecting interests of their clients. This can sometimes be at the expense of their own planning. In this podcast recording, you can hear Chair, Corinne Staves (Partner and Head of Professional Practices, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP) and panel speakers, Rachel O’Donoghue (Partner and Head of Financial Planning, Buzzacott LLP), James Currie (Senior Tax Manager, Buzzacott LLP), David Shufflebotham (Founder, PEPUP.consulting), Fiona Poole (Partner, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP) and Beth Hale (Partner, CM Murray LLP) explore the actions that all partners should be considering and the extent to which firms should be involved in personal risk management. In particular, this panel address the following: • the key personal risks for professional partners; • financial planning a

We are delighted to bring you the second episode of our mini podcast series on board diversity and how it has progressed over recent years. In this episode, Teresa L. Johnson, Partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP in San Francisco, joins Partner Emma Bartlett look at best practice examples showing how board diversity is being achieved. Key takeaways include: In the UK, it is entirely voluntary and business-led. This has resulted in a strong supply of experienced women leaders and has opened up new career path and opportunities for senior women. We now have valuable insight into workplace barriers and how to fix them – from experience, while you can guess what those barriers are, unless there is some sort of audit some of these assumptions might be wrong; Increasing the representation of women in key functional roles such as GC, GC and Co Sec, Finance Director, HR Director and Chief Information Officer, will drive progress; Certain FTSE 100 companies have led the way, demonstrating commitment to diversi

We are delighted to bring you this recording of an expert discussion between members of leading international employment law alliance Innangard, exploring and offering insight into key issues concerning workers and employers in the current climate in the UK, Spain and Sweden. The platform economy continues to raise new employment law queries, which legislation and case law are now catching up with. This discussion takes a close look at some of the more common issues being faced by platform companies and their workers and examines the protections and remedies potentially available to both. The discussion is hosted by Merrill April (CM Murray LLP, UK), with contributions from María José Sánchez (Augusta Abogados, Spain) and Carl-Fredrik Hedenström (Morris Law, Sweden).   The key questions addressed by the panel include: 1. How has the status of platform workers developed in the UK, Spain and Sweden? Has the development been linked to the different employment statuses recognised by each jurisdiction?  2. How

We are pleased to share with you the recording from our recent Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) expert discussion, ‘Neurodiversity in Professional Services Firm Leadership’. Individuals who may be described as “neurodivergent” bring a plethora of skills and different perspectives to an organisation, offering firms a sustainable, competitive advantage that will be particularly beneficial in the current economic climate. Harnessing and embracing the cognitive divergence of a workforce will enable professional services firms to home in on an untapped pool of innovators and high performers to inform its decision making and wider strategies, and promote an inclusive workplace culture. It is important for firms to raise awareness about neurodiversity related issues, whether through the day-to-day advocacy of senior management or the delivery of firmwide training, to help managers and colleagues to better understand neurocognitive differences and the needs of their neurodivergent colleagues. In this webinar,

We are delighted to introduce our mini podcast series discussing the topic of board diversity and how it has changed in recent years, , including a comparison of the regulation of board diversity between California and the UK. While it has come a long way, there is plenty more to be done. Listen to the first episode here.

Transitioning from Founder-Led to Perpetual Governance Models: The Most Difficult Challenge that Many Professional Service Firms ever face The transition that any firm must undergo if it is to survive and thrive after its founders retire affects every aspect of the organisation. It is at the same time both strategic and intensely personal. For founding partners, it involves giving up control of an organisation that in many cases defines who they are and trusting the next generation to lead and manage it into a successful future. For that next generation, it means stepping up to a whole new level of responsibilities. It almost always involves difficult discussions, including about money, power and influence. For the firm’s employees, the outcome determines no less than their future livelihoods. For clients, such transitions can significantly impact the quality of service that they receive in both the long term and while the transition is underway. This issue is deeply relevant in 2021; the (then) young entrep

If England’s COVID roadmap progresses as planned, stringent COVID restrictions should be lifting or lifted during summer 2021. The office and future working arrangements are dominating discussions at all levels within professional services firms. This peer-to-peer discussion aims to provide an understanding of market practices and trends, addressing topics affecting your people, your business and your clients. In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair Corinne Staves, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP, Beth Hale, CM Murray LLP, Robert Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group, and guest speaker Oliver Richards, Orms, discuss the following: • What the ease of adaption to such significant working changes has proven about the resilience of the professions • How the past year of home working has already altered everyone’s horizons and how Firms will need to reflect this in their long-term strategy • What the key components of a successful workplace will be, allowing people to balance companionship and communication,

We are pleased to share with you the recording of this Professional Practices Alliance expert interactive panel discussion on what the medium-term holds for law firms emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can prepare for changes to the economy, office life, and the tax landscape. The panel addressed issues including: - The impact of the pandemic on law firms and how to emerge stronger on the other side. - How office workspaces can be adapted to meet the requirements of a workforce that wants greater flexibility. - The key points of the UK’s first 2021 Budget and the measures that will most affect law firms and their clients. - The employment law challenges that arise out of new ways of working. The panel: James Campbell - International Partner, Cushman & Wakefield (Guest Speaker) Andrew Hosking - Managing Director, Restructuring & Insolvency, Quantuma (Guest Speaker) Beth Hale - Partnership and Employment Law Partner, CM Murray LLP Alastair McQuater - Tax Partner, Buzzacott LLP Claire Watkin

We are are pleased to share with you the recording of our recent Professional Practices Alliance expert panel discussion on 'Measuring and Driving Diversity and Inclusion in Professional Services Firms'. Over the last year, the issue of workplace inequalities and under-representation of minority groups has been reignited, or come to the fore, on the agenda of many businesses, including professional services firms. Such firms may now be looking afresh at how to drive and measure diversity and inclusion within their partnerships and wider staff constituency. In this panel discussion, you can hear Chair Sarah Chilton (CM Murray LLP, Partner), Emma Bartlett (CM Murray LLP, Partner), David Shufflebotham (Founder of PEP Up Consulting), Corinne Staves (Partner & Head of Professional Practices, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP) and excellent Guest Speakers, Mouhssin Ismail (Principal of Newham Collegiate Sixth Form) and Ray Berg (UK Managing Partner of Osborne Clarke LLP) explore some of the vital diversity and inclusion

The endurance of the partnership model as the structure of choice for professional practices is frequently credited to the idea that partnerships engender and promote a collegiate and collaborative culture, with all partners acting as owners who are responsible for driving the success of the firm. On the flip side, partnerships are often criticised for being slow to implement change (changes forced by a global pandemic notwithstanding!) as significant decisions regarding a firm’s strategy, structure, partner remuneration model, governance and constitution frequently require the support of a critical mass of partners; not only to satisfy constitutional approval requirements, but also because unless there is broad partner support for any proposed changes, attempts to push through such decisions (even if it is ultimately unsuccessful) can cause partner disaffection and have a destabilising effect on the firm. As a result, ‘difficult’ (but often necessary) proposals are sometimes diluted or kicked down the road b

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), concluded in late December 2020, addresses a range of topics of interest to professional practices, but a glaring omission is a framework for trade in services between the EU and the UK. This has significant strategic implications for professional practices that are based in the UK but service the needs of clients in the EU (and vice versa), or who have offices in both the UK and EU. While much remains to be agreed, over time frames that might extend to several years or more, there is a lot that such practices need to do now. In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair, Robert Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group, Zulon Begum, CM Murray LLP, and guest speakers Mickaël Laurans, The Law Society of England and Wales, Ceris Gardener, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP and Markus Hartung, Kanzlei Chevalier discuss the following: • What steps professional practices need to take in the short term in order to align with the new realities • What impact the TCA will have on

Following the Prime Minister’s recent comment that the government hopes to soon be able to run the Coronavirus vaccination programme 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, many employers will be considering the implications of the roll-out for their staff, their business and a potential return to the physical workplace. A novel question that many employers may be battling with is whether they can legally require their staff to get the Covid-19 vaccine (particularly if the vaccine becomes available to the private sector in the future). In this CM Murray podcast, Elizabeth McEneny, Sarah Chilton and Wonu Sanda discuss this and more, including: - the historical legal background to mandatory vaccinations in the UK; - the impact of the employer’s Health and Safety obligations on mandating a compulsory vaccination policy; - whether an employer can require vaccination as a reasonable instruction or introduce it as a contractual requirement; - the discrimination risks that an employer may need to consider; - the h