Dickie Dees’ growth drive kicks off structural shift
Dickinson Dees has launched a partnership consultation on remuneration as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of its business.
Jonathan Blair
In a series of staff meetings over the past week managing partner Jonathan Blair as announced the management’s vision for the North East firm for the next few years, including the launch of updated appraisal processes and career paths across the practice.
A consultation paper on introducing a merit-based element to remuneration has been sent to partners and is set to be discussed in May.
Dickinson Dees is one of the few firms in The Lawyer UK 200 still to operate a traditional lockstep system. Last year the equity spread ran from £161,000 to £301,000.
Blair told The Lawyer that the firm would be targeting turnover growth through a client project launched in conjunction with Cranfield School of Management.
It focuses on maximising spend on eight key client accounts to £1m, something Blair said will require new skills training and appraisal processes for partners and client managers.
He said: “The intention is to remain a regional heavyweight, but if we’re serious about our aspiration to be a top UK law firm then we need to grow market share, and that’s going to be outside the North East region.
“It’s premature to start talking about merging specifically - it’s not ruled in and it’s not ruled out.”
Readers' comments (5)
Anonymous | 28-Mar-2011 11:35 am
Playing catch up with all the other law firms, never sounded so innovative!
Who are they kidding!
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Eric | 28-Mar-2011 8:33 pm
Everyone in the Newcastle legal market knows Dickinson Dees is desperate to merge with / be taken over by a less chippy firm.
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Anonymous | 29-Mar-2011 12:40 pm
"It’s premature to start talking about merging specifically - it’s not ruled in and it’s not ruled out.”
I thought it was an open secret that merger talks collapsed last September because Dickinson Dees were perceived to be too partner heavy.
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Anonymous | 29-Mar-2011 3:08 pm
I like Johnny Blair; he's starting to move the firm away from it's many problems.
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Anon | 31-Mar-2011 12:16 pm
[in a conversation in which no one is talking about mergers] JB:
"it's premature to start talking about merging"
He doth protest too much.
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