The Golden Turd did not have the worst management in the land. Irwin Mitchell was bested by Slater & Gordon.
"I'm honestly not sure what goes through there heads sometimes", said a junior solicitor at Plexus (59%). "The problem is they seem to have the same problem". There were "two types of partner" at Plexus, explained one, "partner managers and partners". The issue was that "many of the managers have not done any real legal work since before our apprentices could walk and just spend their days doing busy work". The "attitude of management at Plexus has been for some time that it doesn't matter how badly we treat staff as law students are ten a penny", said a trainee. "Cue numerous instances of new starters marched out of the office in tears in front of everyone for something as basic as talking too loudly". "Actually", said a paralegal, "to their credit the fact that we're still going is a miracle". Others were also positive. "Took on the Titanic. Still floating. New York is in sight", said a trainee. "Very few have drowned".
It was a dismal showing for Freshfields (50%). "Some of the decisions they're taken recently (eg making PAs redundant and toughening up the expenses policies for associates) rankle slightly", said a lawyer, "when we then get an email saying they're flexing the top of the equity for high performers". Partners "are either robots or maniacs", said a trainee. There were "new 'initiatives' every other week to plaster over the fact that people are unhappy and the firm has put short term profit above the long term benefits of employee satisfaction".
At Shakespeare Martineau (45%) the "current CEO has no idea what he's doing", said a staffer. "He's coasted off the back of one big merger" and "chunters on about 'organic growth' while watching clients leave and fees go down". There was also, said a lawyer, "one partner who lost a banking client worth shedloads", but "instead of being let go" was "made head of an admin dept". It "doesn't hurt" that the partner "is living with one of the department heads".
The verdict on management from one senior solicitor at BLM (38%) was "Idiots, but there are some green shoots". "Clueless dimwits with ridiculous ambitions", said a colleague. "It would be fine if this were the 80s and we were all high on cocaine, but sadly it's not". BLM "is a dog chasing a car with no destination", said a junior lawyer. "Delusional", said a senior solicitor. "By 2020 we will be the biggest risk and insurance business in the world. We will achieve this first by closing offices, losing partners and shrinking the business. Second, we will keep our staff in the dark and accord them less respect than a battery chicken". Getting into specifics, a staffer said, "They decide to go dress down (good idea), then issue 6 pages of rules about what we wear. How about treating us like grown ups and letting us use our judgment?" "What's management?" said a partner. "We lurch from one disaster to the next".
At Irwin Mitchell (25%), "I'm rather tired of being told to trust in the plans for growth when all you see is people leaving in droves", said a solicitor. "Something just is not right". "Why", asked a colleague, "is no one asking why hires last less than two years, especially partners?" Management was "utterly disconnected from the shop floor", said a partner. "They lock themselves in their ivory northern pork pie tower". Nonetheless, said a senior solicitor, the current upper management team "is much better than the previous one".
At the bottom of the pile for leadership, it was Slater & Gordon with an appalling 23%. The "news reports speak for themselves", said a senior solicitor. Senior Management "are horrific", said a trainee. "Team Leaders aren't too bad". They've "done a full 180 turn from the initial 'costa coffee' strategy of having an office on every high street", said a staffer, "and are now shutting offices left, right and centre". Plus the managers are metastasising: "there was a Head of Client and under her a head of client experience and a Client Journey Manager", reeled off a lawyer. And what a journey it's been.
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"I'm honestly not sure what goes through there heads sometimes", said a junior solicitor at Plexus (59%). "The problem is they seem to have the same problem". There were "two types of partner" at Plexus, explained one, "partner managers and partners". The issue was that "many of the managers have not done any real legal work since before our apprentices could walk and just spend their days doing busy work". The "attitude of management at Plexus has been for some time that it doesn't matter how badly we treat staff as law students are ten a penny", said a trainee. "Cue numerous instances of new starters marched out of the office in tears in front of everyone for something as basic as talking too loudly". "Actually", said a paralegal, "to their credit the fact that we're still going is a miracle". Others were also positive. "Took on the Titanic. Still floating. New York is in sight", said a trainee. "Very few have drowned".
It was a dismal showing for Freshfields (50%). "Some of the decisions they're taken recently (eg making PAs redundant and toughening up the expenses policies for associates) rankle slightly", said a lawyer, "when we then get an email saying they're flexing the top of the equity for high performers". Partners "are either robots or maniacs", said a trainee. There were "new 'initiatives' every other week to plaster over the fact that people are unhappy and the firm has put short term profit above the long term benefits of employee satisfaction".
At Shakespeare Martineau (45%) the "current CEO has no idea what he's doing", said a staffer. "He's coasted off the back of one big merger" and "chunters on about 'organic growth' while watching clients leave and fees go down". There was also, said a lawyer, "one partner who lost a banking client worth shedloads", but "instead of being let go" was "made head of an admin dept". It "doesn't hurt" that the partner "is living with one of the department heads".
The verdict on management from one senior solicitor at BLM (38%) was "Idiots, but there are some green shoots". "Clueless dimwits with ridiculous ambitions", said a colleague. "It would be fine if this were the 80s and we were all high on cocaine, but sadly it's not". BLM "is a dog chasing a car with no destination", said a junior lawyer. "Delusional", said a senior solicitor. "By 2020 we will be the biggest risk and insurance business in the world. We will achieve this first by closing offices, losing partners and shrinking the business. Second, we will keep our staff in the dark and accord them less respect than a battery chicken". Getting into specifics, a staffer said, "They decide to go dress down (good idea), then issue 6 pages of rules about what we wear. How about treating us like grown ups and letting us use our judgment?" "What's management?" said a partner. "We lurch from one disaster to the next".
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That 2020 strategy in full. |
At Irwin Mitchell (25%), "I'm rather tired of being told to trust in the plans for growth when all you see is people leaving in droves", said a solicitor. "Something just is not right". "Why", asked a colleague, "is no one asking why hires last less than two years, especially partners?" Management was "utterly disconnected from the shop floor", said a partner. "They lock themselves in their ivory northern pork pie tower". Nonetheless, said a senior solicitor, the current upper management team "is much better than the previous one".
At the bottom of the pile for leadership, it was Slater & Gordon with an appalling 23%. The "news reports speak for themselves", said a senior solicitor. Senior Management "are horrific", said a trainee. "Team Leaders aren't too bad". They've "done a full 180 turn from the initial 'costa coffee' strategy of having an office on every high street", said a staffer, "and are now shutting offices left, right and centre". Plus the managers are metastasising: "there was a Head of Client and under her a head of client experience and a Client Journey Manager", reeled off a lawyer. And what a journey it's been.
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