The Complete Legal Business Workshop Half Day Conference 2021 chaired by Stephen Vallance (Harper Macleod) will discuss the topics listed below. The programme sets out the itinerary for the afternoon.
 

Welcome and Introduction

Healthy Body: 2020/21 has shown clearly just how important both our physical and mental health is to being a good practitioner. In this session we will look at some useful practices that we can all build into our days to ensure that we remain at our best to face up to whatever challenges lie ahead of us— Charline Jones

Healthy Mind-Risk Management: Mistakes happen, we are all fallible. Why though? Is it lack of understanding of processes, failures of checks and double checks or was it just that you did not know what you didn't know? We will look at issues including personal blind spots, positive risk culture and management as well as risk profiles within teams and optimism bias with a view to creating a positive risk culture within an organisation—Iain Sim

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Healthy Relationships: Dealing with challenging People.: -Human interactions are at the core of every business, whether it's internal teams or relationships with clients and suppliers. Why though are they sometimes so fraught? Did you just catch that person on a bad day or do they really not like you? The answers are seldom what you think and human interactions, while on the surface simple, at their core are extremely complex. Why then do people fail to communicate properly, how do you recognise when things are going poorly and what can you do to improve it. - Stephen Vallance

Healthy Business: New clients are the lifeblood of every legal firm. Many practitioners though still feel uncomfortable with 'selling' preferring to rely on the more traditional route of 'word of mouth'. In this session we will look at why business development (BD) is a must for both your firm and your clients along with some suggestions as to how you can develop a successful BD culture. - Anne Macdonald

Panel Discussion.
 
Biographies
Stephen Vallance - Stephen works within the award-winning HM Connect team and in particular is responsible for the operation in the West of Scotland. He has over 30 years’ experience in legal practice. A partner previously in several law firms, he successfully sold his own practice in 2008. Stephen teaches on the Diploma in Legal Practice at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities as well as producing and presenting seminars on a variety of ‘soft skills’ topics. He is the author of several Journal articles and writes their ‘eternal optimist’ column.

Anne Macdonald - Anne is the Lead Partner of Harper Macleod’s HM Connect network and heads up their Business Development Team. Anne also coordinates the Australia country desk, part of Harper Macleod's international offering. Anne is a Council Member for the Glasgow & Strathkelvin Constituency of the Law Society of Scotland and is the Convener of the Client Protection Sub Committee. Anne is an Officer of the Law Firm Management Committee (LFMC) of the International Bar Association (IBA) and Chair of the IBA Business Development & Marketing Subcommittee of the LFMC.

Charline Jones - Ex Scottish Racing Cyclist. Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist in Delhi 2010 also competed in Glasgow 2014 CWG and Coached at the 2018 Gold Coast CWG. Now has her own online businesses Three HIIT Wonder and Power your Range providing people with short HIIT, Pilates, yoga and mobility sessions they can complete at home in their own time.

Iain Sim
 
Originally recorded on 20.10.21