Blake Lapthorn is 21st most innovative law firm in Europe

 

Following the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers awards ceremony that took place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 16 October, Blake Lapthorn is pleased to confirm that it is now the 21st most innovative law firm in Europe.

 

Blake Lapthorn has risen 18 places in the rankings, from its position of 39 in 2007.  The firm's Innovation team, which is headed by partner Alison McClure, entered into four categories for this year's awards.  Those categories, along with the information on the specific submissions and the results for each, are listed below:

 

Human Resources (HR) - Core Values Co-ordinators project

The firm was highly commended for its 'promotion and integration of the firm's core values.  The description states: "The firm, which is a product of three mergers in five years, has instituted core values through the use of office champions and a people-led approach rather than a procedural one."

 

Marketing and PR - Geoff Holt's 'Personal Everest'

The firm was commended for its sponsorship of Geoff Holt's Personal Everest. The description states: "The firm runs a series of 'Challenge' lectures into which this high-profile sponsorship fitted.  A potentially risky initiative as Geoff Holt is a disabled sailor and the appeal of his quest was primarily personal rather than business orientated."

 

Client Service - Lifecoaching

The firm was commended for its Lifecoaching for clients of the firm's divorce practice.  The description states: "A novel way of helping clients deal with a difficult time in their lives.  The firm offers an introductory session and clients then have the option to pay for more.  Referees were laudatory about the initiative."

 

Management - firmjam

The firm was commended for its week-long staff listening exercise using the firm's intranet.  The description states: "Taking place on the firm's intranet, 'firmjam' has led to changes in the firm's bonus scheme, how it bills and drives new business development ideas into practice."

 

Alison McClure said: "I am extremely pleased that the firm has been highly commended for our core values project and that we've risen so much from last year's rankings.  The team have done a really good job this year in implementing our various Innovation projects and it's extremely rewarding to see that all our hard work has received such great recognition in today's FT Innovative Lawyers report.  We will continue to generate our Innovation projects, which play a key part in the firm's ongoing development."

 

The Financial Times, together with RSG Consulting, launched the Innovative Lawyers report three years ago.  This year's report, which is based on 600 submissions, 690 interviews and more than six months' research, sees expanded coverage of the legal profession across Europe.  Some of the key trends from the report include the growth of outsourcing of legal processes to low-cost centres such as India and the increased standardisation of legal advice through the intelligent use of technology.  The report also shows how the legal sector is responding to climate change.

 

To view the report in full, see www.ft.com/innovativelawyers2008.

 

 

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For more information please contact:

 

Daniel Baber, PR manager, Blake Lapthorn

E: daniel.baber@bllaw.co.uk

T: 020 7814 5489