Building the Perfect Client Service Firm — From Scratch

What fun! The perfect client service firm! Is it possible?

Individuals in private practice have said, “I know there is a better way to serve clients — a better way to practice. If I had the courage, I’d start my own firm and it would be different.” Law firms have started greenfield operations — practice groups with entirely new business models with mixed success — primarily because these new business models are overlaid with old accounting models and old reward systems.

An article like this presents the writer and the reader with both the opportunity to reflect, as well as the opportunity to dream about the art of the possible.

Stepping up to this challenge there is “so much to do, so little time.” What sort of leader would be in place? How would future leaders be developed and retained? How could we deliver service profitably in ways valued by clients? How would we use technology to collaborate and to anticipate clients’ needs? What about culture — how could we create the desired culture and then build the components toward that desired end state? How would we differentiate this perfect firm from its competitors, in the eyes of both talent and clients, for whom we all compete?