Wednesday 10 June: Business Environment

12:30 Welcome lunch

13:50 Welcome address: Aninder Khera, senior conference editor, Legal Week

14:00 Chair’s opening remarks: Abby Ewen, IT director, Simmons & Simmons

14:10 Pre-recorded opening keynote: Examining risks and opportunities facing law firms in the current business climate
The shift in economic conditions undoubtedly has a knock-on effect for all businesses. This keynote interview led by FTSE100 general counsel Richard Bennett, will examine the direct and indirect consequences of the economic downturn for law firms? Magic circle firms will address how they are overcoming the key challenges of operating in the current business climate, together with effectively managing information and technology help to position their firms for future growth.
Click here to view the video.
Interviewer:
Richard Bennett, group general manager, legal and compliance, HSBC
Panellists:
Ted Burke, chief executive, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
David Childs, managing partner, Clifford Chance
Simon Davies, managing partner, Linklaters

15:00 Plenary: Strategic decisions in 2009 – aligning managing partners and clients to the CIO agenda
As business strategy evolves, the strategic decisions taken by firms and their leaders will change in line. Following on from the managing partners interview this session will examine the changes in the CIO agenda for 2009, identifying the implications of change for the business and your people. How do you effectively deal with the challenges for the year ahead and lead your teams through the economic downturn, whilst achieving the best results for the business and clients?
Keynote address:
Paul Lippe, CEO, Legal OnRamp
Panellists:
Sue Brooks, chief of staff, Barclays Legal & Compliance
Janet Day, IT director, Berwin Leighton Paisner
Paul Heywood, IT director, Field Fisher Waterhouse

16:00 BlackBerry® break

16:30 Panel discussion: External competition – preparing your teams for change
With external forces of intensified competition, law firms need to address the changing environment in which they are operating. The Legal Services act will cause a major transformation of law firm culture. In short, law firms will need to be far more business-like in every aspect of their operation. The panel discussion will debate how, if at all, the structure of the law firm will change; how many firms will exist in the future; what are the opportunities for technology service companies investing into law firms; how should you respond to a changing environment and external competition from suppliers; what are the risks for you and your teams and how will mergers and acquisitions impact legal? Examining how firms differ and are similar around the globe. What’s the strategy looking like? Are law firms going to look the same in the future?
Chair:
Chris White, former IT director, Ashurst
Panellists:
Geoff Hornsby, regional sales director, Autonomy
David Jabbari, COO, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
Simon Kosminsky, IT director, SJ Berwin
Bruce MacMillan, general counsel, Legal Services Board

17:30 Chair’s closing remarks: Abby Ewen, IT director, Simmons & Simmons

17:45 End of conference day one

19:00 Coaches depart for dinner