Our September newsletter covers our upcoming white paper, our plans for IBA Copenhagen, updates to the MD Communications team, important dates for your diary in our September newsletter and news on our pro bono social initiative, The Parents Promise.
Copenhagen calling, company updates, and turning ideas into practice
As we prepare for the IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen, I’ve been thinking about what makes these weeks valuable. It helps to know who you want to meet and what you hope to achieve. But some of the best conversations are the ones you could never have planned.
That balance between purpose and openness runs through this month’s newsletter. We’re launching our new white paper, sharing a few thoughts on making the most of the IBA, welcoming new expertise to MD Communications and looking ahead to some exciting upcoming dates.
Copenhagen calling: Your IBA briefing
Human in the Loop
We’ll launch our latest white paper, Human in the Loop: The lawyer as trusted adviser in the age of AI, at the IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen next week.
Last year’s paper, Navigating Global Growth, explored how independent law firms build the relationships and profile they need to grow internationally. This year, we turn to the strength of those relationships: what clients value in a trusted adviser, how AI is changing the delivery of legal work, and what firms must do to earn and retain trust.
Drawing on an international survey of 50 legal services businesses and interviews with firms across the world, the paper includes contributions from Anna Dąbrowska of Wolf Theiss, Chris Macfarlane of Peloton, Matt Meyer of Kingsley Napley, Helen Drayton of Pennington Manches Cooper and Christine Braamskamp of Jenner & Block, among many others. One message comes through strongly: technical excellence remains essential, but clients also want judgement, commercial understanding and advisers who know and care about their businesses.
To receive a copy when it launches, email Nick Pollard.
Meet us in Copenhagen
James Hayhurst, Linsay Leslie and I will all be at the conference next week. We’re looking forward to seeing clients, collaborators and friends from across the international legal community. If you’ll be there and would like to meet for a coffee, please get in touch.
We support law firms of all sizes with their international growth strategy. This includes working with several firms attending the IBA as part of their international growth strategies on who to meet, how to navigate the conference and how to turn those few days into a real return on their investment. If you’d like to talk in Copenhagen about how to make Singapore 2027 count, drop us a line.
Turning the paper’s ideas into practice
Our Human in the Loop paper explores why strong client relationships and human judgement matter more than ever. The MD Communications x Magic Sauce business development programme helps lawyers put that thinking to work.
It combines lessons from consumer brand growth with practical ways to build relationships, develop opportunities and win work. Created by MD Communications partner James Hayhurst, a former advertising agency leader and Unilever marketer, with Justin Portaz, former CMO at Jenner & Block, it starts with a half-day workshop, followed by quarterly sessions and individual partner coaching.
If you’d like to know more, get in touch.
Growing the MD Communications team
Welcoming Helen Scott
I’m delighted to welcome Helen Scott as our new International PR Director. A qualified solicitor turned legal PR specialist, Helen brings particular expertise in disputes, arbitration, and international PR. She strengthens the support we can offer firms looking to build their profile across markets and manage complex reputational issues.
Read more about Helen’s appointment here.
Our International Advisory Board
We’re really excited to start announcing the members of our new International Advisory Board. Between them, they’ve led international law firms and household-name businesses, chaired boards, advised major organisations from inside their legal teams and secured some of the world’s most talked-about interviews. They bring an extraordinary mix of commercial instinct, international connections and insight into how stories and reputations are shaped. We can’t wait to introduce them and share what their experience will bring to our clients.
Dates for your diary
Managing Partners’ Brunch
We’re bringing a small group of managing partners together in Copenhagen for a round table candid conversation about international growth on 8th October. There will be a write up afterwards, but do let us know if you’d like us to send a copy, or if you’d be interested in attending a leadership round table in the future.
Leadership Retreats
Our November Ladies’ Leadership Retreat at Soho Farmhouse is officially fully booked. We also design and facilitate retreats for individual law firms, shaped around the challenges that their senior leaders want to work through together. If that would be useful for your firm, we’d love to talk.
Pro bono and social initiatives
MD Communications partner James Hayhurst and I founded a social initiative called The Parents Promise to help parents put their children’s needs first if they separate. MD Communications powers the campaign, which has recently focused on the role schools can play when families go through separation. Earlier this month, James hosted a webinar for education professionals, sharing practical guidance and free resources to help schools support children and work with both parents.
If you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch with James.
