At Cultivate 2019: Sydney, Emanuel Oros, Partner: Corporate and Commercial at Sparke Helmore Lawyers took part in the industry expert panel discussion sharing technologies and tips he uses in his business to grow the firm. Below is a Q&A with Emanuel but you can still see him at the upcoming Brisbane and Melbourne seminars this October.
What would you say has been your firm’s most effective growth strategy over the past couple of years?
We choose to focus on our very good clients. Those who come back time and time again. These are our key clients, our bread and butter. It is much easier to build a relationship with a client who already trusts you.
We also leverage our relationship with other firms to help our clients get the best service possible. We can’t always be experts at everything and by being open about that and asking questions from practitioners at other firms, by seeking help from others, we build trust and respect.
There is also the added bonus of referrals – if we seek help for one of our own clients from another firm, there is always the opportunity for another firm to seek help from us.
What do you see as your firm’s greatest challenge moving into the immediate future?
The greatest challenge for law firms more broadly is to look at their current workflow and find out ways to reduce paperwork.
How important is innovation as a contributor to growth?
This is very important. Look at technology options and ask, “Will they help?” Just because it’s a new technology, doesn’t mean it is right for your firm. Some technology options just won’t pan out for you.
I pushed for our firm to go full electronic. I work from my smartphone. At home I plug my phone into our smart tv and work from there. It is important to leverage what technologies are out there to your advantage.
Does your firm invest in staff training and development and upskilling in areas of innovation and technology?
Yes we do. Technology is here to support lawyers, not to take over our roles. We need to use technology to analyse data and make recommendations, but at the end of the day, we are the trusted human advisor who interprets the data and makes decisions.
Emanuel will be presenting “The Pulse of the Industry” at Cultivate Brisbane on Wednesday October 9 and again in Melbourne on October 23. Spaces for these seminars are limited so register here for your seat today.
