Sydney-based SME firm Lehman Walsh has decided – in order to support such practitioners during the pandemic – to restructure its own business in order to accommodate a “partners on commission” strategy, and do recruitment on this basis. Reports Australian Lawyers Weekly.
What the strategy looks like
Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Lehman Walsh managing partner Janya Eighani said that the new structure and its flexibility are aimed at the following professionals: “Sole practitioners who wish to continue practice but cannot continue maintaining an office and its ongoing expenses (of the figures [simply] don’t make sense), practitioners who cannot afford to pay for staff but have enough workload to keep them going through this tough period, and solicitors who wish to work for themselves with flexibility but do not want to deal with outgoings and employee obligations, have some ability to start signing up clients and want to grow their client base and practice under the umbrella of a reputable and established firm”.
“In short, if you have enough work to continue practice or you can get the work, but cannot afford to set up a firm or simply don’t want to, we offer the most simple and fair alternative,” she posited.
“This will keep practitioners practicing during these difficult times and also makes sure that smaller clients are not left without access to legal services, simply because their lawyers are deciding to shut their doors or wind down, due to the uncertain commercial reality that COVID-19 has brought about.”
The new strategy was designed, Ms Eighani explained, so as to ensure that smaller practices weren’t left unaided.
