Hints & Tips from Expense Reduction Analysts for UK law firms seeking to reduce costs and improve processes.

1. Legal Services Bulletin
July-August 2013
COMMENT FEATURE: see overleaf
WITHERS LLP
A Smooth Take Off for
Withers Worldwide Travel Policy
The first company in the news is Balva. The
Latvian insurer built a 9% market share (by
number of firms insured) becoming the third
largest indemnity insurer in the legal market this
year, before being suspended from writing new
business in the UK.
Should Balva eventually become insolvent then
1,300 firms face the prospect of having to find new
cover.
“....what struck me was ERA’s
patience, professionalism and
thorough knowledge of the market...”
PC FEES UP
PRACTICE TIPS
networkpartner with
Most of England & Wales is
enjoying sweltering Summer
conditions, and the outlook
for the economy is looking
brighter too.
Two of the hot topics since
our last issue involve
insurers, and although
starkly contrasting each
story has implications for
law firms up and down the
country.
Jason Adderley
T: 0121 602 1445
M: 07824 449 577
E: j.adderley@erauk.net
: @ERA_Legal
The Editor
Jason Adderley is a consultant Partner with ERA
specialising in managing programmes of work for
legal and professional services firms.
He has 18 years experience of working with
solicitors and other professional consultants as a
client and as a service provider.
One wonders about the motives of the brokers that
reassured clients about placing PI with an unrated
insurer like Balva, and whether the SRA should
reconsider allowing unrated insurers to write
solicitors PII at all.
PC FEES UP
The Law Society’s Council has approved above
inflation increases in PC fees. The total net
increase will be only £4 (0.9%) due to a reduction
in the compensation fund charge.
INTENSE SUPERVISION
The SRA is keeping tabs on around 30 of the top
200 law firms in England & Wales because of fears
about their financial stability.
SRA HEADS IN THE CLOUD
The SRA confirmed to Legal Futures that it has no
guidance to offer on cloud computing. Whilst the
SRA relies on OFR, the Law Society of Scotland
has issued detailed guidance.
competitioncompetitioncompetitioncompetition
In other news newly listed Direct Line, Britain’s
biggest car insurer, has applied to set up a law firm
to operate in partnership with private equity
backed Parabis.
In a statement Direct Line said that existing
insurance customers that chose to be represented
by DLG Legal “will receive 100% of any damages
awarded, protecting them from the cost of paying
success fees typically levied by alternative legal
services providers.”
Industry insiders suggest more insurers will
follow the likes of Ageas and Direct Line.

2. #4
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
Why ERA?
STUDY
CASE
Withers LLP
“At our stage of development – with a £140m
turnover and operating in three continents –
we needed a company to come in and assess
how we should best manage our travel
requirements, and to walk us down the path
towards producing a travel policy and selecting
the right Travel Management Company.”
Michael Priestley,
Head of Business Services Europe and Asia for Withers LLP
As ERA Travel Expert Derek Hodd explains “Withers’
main TMC was really too small for their evolving
requirements. Individual travellers were using various
TMCs, or booking on the web, so there was no ability
within Withers to gain detailed control over their travel
spend.
It was even difficult for me to get the travel
expenditure data together – particularly around hotel
bookings– because the whole process was so
fragmented.”
ERA recently implemented a Travel Policy and
new Travel Management Company (TMC) for
international law firm Withers LLP.
ERA is Network Partner with the
Legal LSN.
LSN London Networking Event 15 July
2013
On a sweltering Summer evening 364
business support professionals from over 90
firms sheltered in the air conditioned comfort
of The Anthologist, Gresham Street.
If we didn’t get round to say hello, then
apologies, we’ll make up for it next time.
The next Network Event is the annual
Operational Leaders in Legal conference on
7 November 2013.
For more information visit:
www.legalsupportnetwork.co.uk
IMPROVEMENT
Many firms carry out periodic
cost saving exercises every
couple of years or so.
ERA poses the question:
“Would you only carry out
Business Development on a
periodic basis?”
Our clients benefit from
continuous improvement,
allowing firms to ensure they
achieve value for money as the
market and the profile of their
business changes.
And they save money year
after year.
Jason Adderley
T: 0121 602 1445
M: 07824 449 577
E: j.adderley@erauk.net
: @ERA_Legal
“What struck me was ERA’s patience,
professionalism and thorough knowledge of the
market. They talked to a lot of people with a
lot of different ideas, and formulated the very
best Travel Policy for us and sourced the best
Travel Management Company for our mix of
requirements.”
Michael Priestley,
Head of Business Services Europe and Asia for Withers LLP
ERA produced a short-list of TMCs, reduced it to two
and Withers made the final choice. We helped Withers
staff through the implementation process, the
necessary systems and processes, including an online
booking tool, which automatically supports the
parameters defined in the Travel Policy
Cost savings will naturally accrue from the enhanced
ability to manage. The project has also brought
Withers’ entire travel procurement activity into line,
making it accountable and more cost-effective, as well
as ensuring that the company is acting in a way that is
compliant with current legislation when executives
travel the world.