Pictured above: Damian Griffiths
Birmingham-based legal consultancy Inpractice UK has widened its
offering to the UK legal market with a new senior level appointment
and the creation of a specialist merger team.
Newly appointed consultant Damian Griffiths is an IT specialist
who has considerable experience in developing IT solutions and
directing the implementation of IT mergers for some of the UK's
leading law firms. Damian's experience includes critical
roles with three of the UK's largest law firms, with operations
worldwide; as IT Director at Eversheds and Addleshaw Goddard and
external consultant to DLA Piper UK LLP.
The Inpractice UK merger team will also include founder and
director of Inpractice UK Allan Carton, technology expert Andrew
Simmans, Richard Blasdale, a specialist in IT systems selection and
implementation and Rita Maguire, a HR and personal development
consultant.
The team will advise its clients on all aspects of a merger;
from a high level strategic approach to the practicalities of
consolidating databases to facilitate mergers on any scale.
Allan Carton explains that the creation of the team is a direct
response to the changing landscape of the legal market:
"The impending changes heralded by the Legal Services Act have
got law firms considering their options. Many now realise
that they need to extend, develop and improve their business
operations in order to compete successfully with new
commercially-capable organisations looking for opportunities in the
legal sector, such as Co-operative Legal Services on private client
services."
"Inevitably those firms that have emerged through the recession
relatively unscathed are now looking to the future -and for many
M&A activity is a definite marker on the horizon."
But whilst well-considered mergers can be a match made in heaven
on a theoretical or brand level, the nuts and bolts of a seamless
transition from two separate organisations to one presents more of
a challenge.
"The Inpractice UK merger team brings together individuals with
a wealth of experience in all aspects of mergers between two legal
practices - from cost control to the nitty gritty of managing
system capacity," Allan explains.
"Each member of the team has a line of proven project successes
behind them and we anticipate that our tried and tested methods and
advice will enable legal practices to get a firm grip on the
practicalities of the merger process from the outset."