As competition among law firms heats up and clients’ demands intensify, creative thinking is becoming vital for success in the legal profession. Enter recently named Melbourne Law Firm of the Year, Mills Oakley Lawyers.
Ambition knows no bounds for this firm whose repositioning has been hinged upon an attitudinal change combined with a relentless focus on technical excellence and client service.
John Nerurker, Mills Oakley’s CEO, comments: “At the end of the day it’s expertise that clients pay for. Maintaining quality relationships and billing efficiently may make legal dealings easier for corporate clients. But if the advice is inferior, the rest just doesn’t really matter.”
The strategy worked well as last year the firm topped the list in the ALB Fast 10 survey and was named “Fastest Growing Law Firm of the Year”.
Much of the credit is given to Mills Oakley attracting top quality talent following an overhaul of its partner remuneration system. The firm now employs a transparent system of meritocracy when determining its partners’ equity levels, thus putting a stop to the Chinese whispers that damage other firms with less even-handed models.
Having overseen significant restructuring since joining the firm in 2004, Nerurker says, “We had to implement a cultural change to alter the direction of the firm”. Praising his partners for their support, he continues, “The challenge for us now and in the future is to focus on brand and to continue attracting the very best partners in the profession”.
With a growing eastern seaboard presence, Mills Oakley is intent on assuming a mantle at the top of the mid-tier, and on providing a genuine alternative for clients using top-tier and large national firms.
When asked, Nerurker is quick to attribute the credit for his firm’s success to the partners and staff. He says, “Being named Melbourne Law Firm of the Year is a complete validation of the hard work and effort that all our staff put in every single day.”
The overriding feature of the past year for Mills Oakley has been its dramatic growth. Few could have predicted that the firm would so quickly become the rising star of the mid-tier.
With a strong vision and no shortage of determination, expect to hear a lot more about this rapidly emerging firm.