At a time when operational innovation is at the heart of law firm strategies throughout the industry, 2023 saw Osborne Clarke funds partner Tim Simmonds step into the role of Chief Operating Officer after the position had been left vacant for seven years.
Following the appointment of Conrad Davies as managing partner, Simmonds was tasked with carving out the responsibilities of the reinstated role while building out an operations team that is fit to explore opportunities with new technology and update business development models. In his first year on the job, he took a leading role in the firm’s move to the Halo office in Bristol in May.
Simmonds’ goals go beyond improving operational efficiencies within the firm as one of his first initiatives in the has been to create a network of COOs across different law firms to discuss strategies around investment costs, flexible working, and virtual processing. His belief is that operations is an aspect of business best done collaboratively rather than competitively.
In the year ahead, Simmonds is confident the created operations team will continue to progress while he also looks to further grow the funds practice on the fee-earning side of his work.