With the current economic climate hitting growth potential hard, now may be the time to seriously consider the benefits of a merger. In the past decade it was not unusual for law firms in the buoyant market to experience 15% plus organic fee growth, but in the next five years this figure will be considered exceptional. If you cannot achieve growth from current client baselines, a merger may well be the only way to ensure the increases in turnover and reductions in costs that will prevent the diving economy eating away at fee incomes. The Art of the Law Firm Merger gives you a clear understanding of the merger process from start to finish including how and when to recognise the indicators that the merger is not in the best interests of your firm. It provides templates and methodologies that ensure the success of your chosen merger and that your primary goals are achieved. The report will help you achieve success with cultural change to ensure your law firm works as a business, embracing best practice, technology and new management structures. It explores staff selection, management approaches, in-house training, reward structures and review methods that will make successful change a reality. The Art of the Law Firm Merger defines an effective communication strategy for keeping stakeholders informed and supportive of the process, assists you in setting timelines for all stages of the merger and even discusses methods for measuring the results. The Go-Path template (Goals, Objections, Process, Approval, Timetable, Help) is explained in detail but above all, the merger process in this important new report is always placed exclusively in the context of the very unique considerations relating to law firms.

JEFF GILLINGHAM is senior partner, head of SSG Legal Consultancy and a key contact within SSG Mergers. He has a long track record in raising the profitability and performance levels of companies. His expertise covers the core spectrum of management consulting services, from merger and acquisition functions to the implementation of efficient business and financial operating models, with specific focus on profitability and back office functions. He has completed assignments for legal firms with measurable success. Jeff is ex-PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he developed the business process outsourcing service model. Relocating from Australia to South America and then Europe, he led service divisions on each continent. His most recent position was as the European CEO of a PwC professional services company with a turnover of GBP80m. In 2004 Jeff started his own management consulting practice, StarPartners Ltd, which he later joined with SSG Legal. He has considerable experience in professional services with particular emphasis on the legal industry. He is a sought after speaker at legal industry conferences and isextensively published in the printed media.