Firefighter, roughneck, surveyor, trainee lawyer and nascent networking specialist Steven Latta blogs for the Firm.

I recently read with interest in 'The Firm' that Anderson Strathern, in appointing former Price Waterhouse Cooper strategy expert Kevin Rennie to their Board, are the latest in a line of central belt law firms to have employed a financial or accounting professionals at executive level. The same day I read in 'Property Week' that  major chartered surveying and property services firm Drivers Jonas, had merged to become part of one of the "big four" professional services firms, Deloitte.
 
I have no doubt that the changing economic climate has seen many firms re-consider their business structure; what was optimal in the boom years leading up to 2008 does not necessarily equate to what is required to prosper, or even survive, today. 
 
In the context of law firms I am sure there are many who have gone from trainee to partner during Gordon Brown's "eleven years of uninterrupted economic growth" without having to think about anything other than practising law.
 
And why would an ambitious lawyer be considering the strengths and weaknesses of his firm in relation to the opportunities and threats in the marketplace when business was so good? Why would you indulge yourself in 'blue sky' thinking when there are not enough fee-earning hours in the day? 

We are now, however, at a different stage in the business cycle and many firms appear keen to acquire the skills necessary to go forward from outwith the profession.
 
Moreover, these changes are all occurring concurrent to the progress of the Legal Services (Scotland) Bill which will ultimately allow non-solicitor partners as‘Licensed Providers’ of legal services as well as allowing solicitors to set up in practice with other professions such as surveyors or accountants.