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Article contributed by Sumitra Penesar, Officer, and photos by Ambran Abu Bakar, Administrative Assistant, Bar Council


On 11 Mar 2011 (Friday) the Bar Council Professional Standards and Development Committee collaborated with Shirlaws to organise a workshop on “How to Manage Your Firm Effectively, Efficiently and Profitably”.  The interactive workshop, which took place from 9:00 am to 6:45 pm at the Bar Council Auditorium, was intended for partners and senior lawyers, and focused on approaches and methodologies that can be applied to address the business aspects of running a legal firm.  It addressed current issues that had been identified through interviews with the law community, as well as other topics that had been raised on the day itself. 

The workshop was spearheaded by Chris Dionne, one of the founders of Shirlaws and currently Chief Executive Officer of the International Division, and a highly sought-after speaker in Australia.  Shirlaws is one of the largest global business coaching organisations, and has worked extensively with law firms in Australia, the UK and most recently, Singapore. 

At the beginning of the workshop, Chris Dionne discussed the three areas of business – strategy, productivity and revenue.  Subsequently, he highlighted the issues and implications commonly faced by firms, whether they be large, medium or small-sized firms.  Amongst the key points he addressed were brand and premium pricing, how effective distribution creates more work, and the direct cost of recruitment and retention.  He summed up his talk by advising the participants to become more competitive in a changing market.


The workshop was followed by a lively question-and-answer session.  The participants joined in actively and expressed interest in learning more about productivity and infrastructure, and how a rushed expansion could be fatal.  Some of the questions raised included an enquiry on how a mixed litigation and conveyancing practice could be operated efficiently, and the effective methods for handling clients. 

Overall, the workshop was a great success and the feedback received was excellent.  The participants were particularly impressed and inspired by Chris Dionne’s enthusiasm and his presentation style.  One participant remarked, “First half of the day was necessary and second half of the day was excellent!  Useful tools to use even for small firms or sole proprietors”, while another participant mused, “Positioning gives a different outlook to a practice”.  The input from participants also revealed that they were keen to have further in-depth sessions on these topics, and hoped that there would be more workshops in collaboration with Shirlaws in future.