Modern Law Magazine Issue 69

LEGAL
TECH TALK
Interview with
Hannah Strawbridge
CEO of HanLawCo
Hi Hannah, I’d love to
get your perspectives on
law firm people & culture
- what are the biggest
changes you’re witnessing
Over the last few years,
there seems to have been a
real growth in consultancymodel
law firms. In
particular, female lawyers
are taking the leap to either
set up their own boutique
firms or consultancies, or
become self-employed,
consulting for other firms.
Many of the lawyers at Han
Law left ‘Big Law’ as they
had become tired of the
traditional culture, the 9-5
in the office, and wanted
more flexible working
arrangements to juggle
caring responsibilities or
their own passions, or both.
The consultancy model
pays them just as well as
before, only now they are
enjoying work more and
the more relaxed culture
enables them to produce
some of their best work,
more confidently than ever.
It also suits the clients, who
the team work around.
I’ve always gone by the
saying ‘Accept it, change
it, or leave it’. I feel there’s
a real sense that for many
lawyers (in my experience,
particularly women) they
have tried to accept the
traditional model early on
in their careers. They have
even tried to change it
as they have progressed.
However, in the end they
discover it may actually
be easier to leave it and
be in charge of their own
business where they can
have autonomy around the
type of the work they do, as
well as how and when they
work.
The sense of not having to
ask permission of anyone
to support their families
or something as simple as
getting some fresh air in
the middle of the afternoon,
is valued so highly that
law firms still insisting on
control are bound to lose
out on the best talent and a
diverse, experienced team.
How do you see the roles
of lawyers changing in the
coming years?
The modern legal outfits
are already embracing
their team being business
consultants and trusted
strategists to their
organisational clients rather
than just technical lawyers.
Clients no longer want to
simply be told what the law
is, or what they can or can’t
do. They want options
and they want lawyers
who understand business
generally and in particular,
their business. They want
people who don’t sit on
the fence with advice and
think with commercialism
and emotional intelligence.
They also want to work with
people they like. The image
of lawyers being stuffy
and not human enough,
unfortunately is still there
and we know clients
are being attracted by
those who come across
as human, who they
can enjoy working
with and build
relationships with.
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What can firms do to
embrace these changes?
For a number of years,
particularly since Covid,
tech has played more of a
role in the legal industry
and again, the firms
offering flexible working
remotely are already on
top of this. These types
of firms are used to selling
via social media platforms
rather than on the golf
course and as such are
attracting global clients,
while their team can work
wherever they choose.
Using technology in this
way also helps firms
attract a more diverse
team of lawyers, whether
that includes those with
caring responsibilities, or
those with a disability or
neurodiversity, who often
welcome the more flexible
approach around theirs,
and the clients’ needs.