Mishcon de Reya partner and director of business development Elliot Moss talks to The Lawyer ahead of this year’s Business Leadership Summit in association with Propero Partners, which focuses on the law firm of 2025.
Are there going to be fewer jobs in the legal market in 2025?
I don’t think so. As new technologies become available there will also be a requirement to ensure they are implemented and utilised. That potentially means more people initially not less. So I think there will be at least the same or more number of jobs for a phase that could last 10 years from now. After that, things could change.
Will AI be as commonplace as photocopying by 2025?
Will photocopying even be around in 2025? (Probably!) I think AI will be prevalent across the industry.
What is the future of legal service delivery?
Deep understanding of the law + deep understanding of the industry + highly emotionally intelligent individuals + brilliant application of technology = the lawyer of the future.
How do you envisage private practice and in-house working to deliver value in 2025?
Fluidly. Without barriers. Without fear of “who’s role is this anyway?” With full transparency. With deep collaboration. (Well, this is my dream.)
How many of your 2025 equity partners will be lawyers?
80-90% at least. The majority of “old law” law firms will still be made up of a majority of lawyers. Those that start from scratch will have a very different make up – especially if they are focused on one area (say cyber security for example).
Tell us two truths and one lie about yourself (in any order).
- I am 6 ft.
- I used to play the trombone because my lips were too big for the trumpet.
- I came second in a Kiss FM DJing competition in the early 90s (the winner got his own show).
With agile working becoming the norm, which spot in the world would you most like to work from?
So many places, so little time. Anywhere with a view of the sea. And hot weather.
Elliot will be speaking at this year’s Business Leadership Summit on a panel discussion exploring whether the traditional partnership model will fail to support the proliferation of law firm careers. For more information on the summit, a copy of the agenda, or to enquire about tickets to attend, please contact Kenan Balli on +44(0) 20 7970 4017 or kenan.balli@centaurmedia.com
How about going in the other direction, i.e. becoming limited companies, instead of dragging non-lawyers into the Ponzi scheme madness that is partnership?