header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
30 October 2008
Issue: 7343 / Categories: Opinion , Employment
printer mail-detail

Arresting development

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Chris Parr details how to win clients and influence people

Law firms seem to assume that all partners are, to some extent or another, “rain makers”. Each partner is required to devote a certain amount of time to winning new business. However, partners are the highest rated fee earners in the firm and so taking them off fee-earning is not wholly sensible.
Skill-set

If the partner is good at marketing and selling (two very different skills) then there are fewer issues. But what of the partner who is a great lawyer, with the rainmaking skills of a box? The firm might relieve those partners of their marketing duty. However, this means that those who do have the right skills must take on more work and more responsibility for the future of the firm.

This approach is storing up a further problem. If a firm relies on a few partners to bring in the bulk of the work, what happens if one or more of them stop working for the firm? There are many reasons why that will happen

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Clarke Willmott—Megan Bradbury

Clarke Willmott—Megan Bradbury

Corporate team welcomes paralegal in Southampton

Howard Kennedy—Paul Moran

Howard Kennedy—Paul Moran

London firm strengthens real estate team with partner appointment

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

NEWS
Read All
Child focused courts to roll out nationwide
Pathfinder courts—renamed ‘Child focused courts’—are to be rolled out nationally, following a successful pilot where backlogs halved and cases were resolved up to seven and a half months faster
Bad behaviour must relate to proceedings, holds Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal has unanimously dismissed a £385,000 costs order against a father, in a case that centred on what is required to meet the threshold of ‘reprehensible or unreasonable’ behaviour
Burials and cremation law under review
Centuries-old burial laws would be overhauled, under Law Commission proposals to address the burgeoning problem of shortage of cemetery space
Reducing women’s imprisonment
The government has committed an extra £32m to women’s charities and services tackling addiction, trauma, abuse and homelessness
Financial Ombudsman to return to its roots
The Financial Ombudsman is poised for major reform to return it to a simple, impartial dispute resolution service
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll