Mr. Harrowell just completed his first year of a three-year term as Chair of the Interlaw Board of Directors, which stewards the Interlaw network and the activities of the Secretariat.  He is energized and influenced by member participation.  The most effective ways to affect change, register concern, or make suggestions in this Association is by responding to the Annual Survey, by speaking up at conferences, (particularly the regional break out sessions,) or by communicating directly with the Secretariat, your regional representative on the Board of Directors, or to Jim himself. Recently The Interlawyer asked Jim about his vision, and how members influence the direction of growth for the network.

This year the membership, through the Annual Survey and at the regional break out sessions asked for more feedback about the activities of the Board of Directors, so Mr. Harrowell will make a quarterly report through The Interlawyer to keep members informed and involved.

The Interlawyer:

Jim, looking back at your first year in office, are  you satisfied with the progress the Association has made in addressing your vision for organizational strategic growth, and increasing brand visibility to specific target audiences, both internally and with  potential clients?

Mr. Harrowell:

It’s been an innovative year, yes.  We’ve stretched a bit, and “hit the mark” on key goals, or at least made impressive progress toward doing so.  And even more importantly, we are now focused on the challenges facing independent law firms in general and legal networks in particular.  Simply put, law firms expect added value from legal networks these days, and we agree.  For example, some regions have asked for more law firm management curriculum at meetings. We’ve done these panels at meetings to excellent reviews.  Member feedback is very important to the way we shape meetings and determine services.  We’ve heard very specific thoughts on strategic growth and we rely on Interlawyers in each region to contribute to the association by identifying firms in targeted jurisdictions that would be the right fit as new members. 

On branding, yes, we strengthened the Interlaw brand this year through activities at ACC and Women Lawyers of Interlaw, the International Bar Association, and the Chinese In-house Counsel Conference as well as directly with media in Chicago, Miami, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou.  And finally, Interlawyers value direct introduction to global clients.  The Secretariat successfully test- marketed a client introduction program this year that brought revenue of more than U.S. $80,000 in legal work, so we will expand on that initiative in 2005. 

The Interlawyer

You seem to emphasize Member satisfaction this year.

Mr. Harrowell:

The Annual Survey and regional break-out meetings have traditionally provided a forum for members to give us a “report card” of sorts of how the organization is fulfilling expectations.  We take this review very seriously and make adjustments when needed.  We also get some good ideas from our members.  For example, we’ve been asked to increase our communication profile regarding activities of the Board of Directors, so this is the first of a quarterly Chair’s report focused on the direction we are moving as an association, with insight to the Board activities.   Our Secretariat and the Board have launched progressive initiatives to position Interlaw for an evolving marketplace for legal services.

The Interlawyer:

The Membership will be hearing more from individual members of the Board in 2005?

Mr. Harrowell

Yes, some firms already have, and more certainly will.  Our members are important to us, we want to be sure we anticipate their needs and shore up any small problems before they escalate.  Individual Board members –and some of our more invested members too—have called upon fellow member firms that seem to be growing less engaged—missed a meeting, not returned email inquiries or even failed to file an Annual Survey, to determine if there is an issue that can be resolved before it turns into a problem.   And there are some winning formulas—for example particular firms that send several members to meetings and visit other Interlaw firms----that we want to be sure to promote.

The Interlawyer:

And what attention have you given to the governance of the association, and what specific projects are underway?

Mr. Harrowell

The Board meets ten times per year telephonically and face to face at the Annual General Meeting and at one Regional Meeting per year.  The Secretariat is composed of an executive director, a director of international marketing and communications, and an office manager.  Ex-officio board members lend their time and expertise to special projects.  Individual Interlawyers participate in Special Business Teams and contribute positively to the organization, such as performing new member evaluations, firm visits, or volunteer to assist the organization with “legal housekeeping” items such as reviewing a contract, writing a letter or registering a trademark.

Each region is represented by at least one Board member and each region has a vice chair who communicates with individual firms to “take the pulse” of their satisfaction with the network, referrals, and other issues.  Board members are also working with firms within each region to identify potential new firms in critical jurisdictions.  For example we have a special task force that is concentrating on identifying a German law firm so our Secretariat can begin the steps for the vetting process. It has been well over a year since we started this quest, so efforts must be stepped up considerably.

As I mentioned before, member feedback is important.  Based on the reviews and suggestions of the last annual meeting the Secretariat updated the Conference Guidelines incorporating standards of practices that will improve further meetings.  As a result of its own review and speaking with Interlawyers and their firm administrators, the Secretariat has taken the initiative to redesign the existing website and will roll out the new, more user friendly version of the website in the first quarter of next year—without charging members any additional web assessment. 

I can’t say enough that the Annual Survey is a critical tool.  In this year’s findings, we learned that attracting the purchasers of legal services from global clients to Interlaw firms is a top priority for members.  Independently and proactively, the Secretariat created an internal marketing white paper for business development that complements the test program of this past year.  From that paper, an outline of action items was approved by the Board at the last meeting, and will be implemented in 2005.  The Secretariat also is concerned about providing members with full value so will conduct a competitive analysis of legal networks for our review next year.

The Interlawyer;

Newly appointed Board Members Bill VanderBurgh and Raimund Cancola bring fresh insight to the Board, how about the retiring members?

Mr. Harrowell:

We welcome our Canadian friend Bill VanderBurgh, and Raimund Cancola from Vienna, who will certainly give us some great insight into Europe and especially Eastern Europe. And we are all big fans of using the Brain Trust of Interlawyers who have been loyal to the Association for as many years as term-limited Bill Capps and Philip Paterson. 

Bill has contributed mightily to professionalizing the association, creating a permanent Secretariat and housing Interlaw’s home within his Los Angeles offices.  He is a visionary and although his term of office has now expired he will still be an active Interlawyer.  Bill is currently is recruiting new members in targeted jurisdictions and he has had a long-time interest in exploring an Interlaw mediation or arbitration group.  He is a past Chair, and a former Interlawyer of the Year; there is no doubt that Bill’s insight will help Interlaw for years.  

There’s no rest in store for Philip Paterson either.  We value his institutional memory, and insightfulness. After the Board carefully reviewed the 2004 Annual Survey we asked him, as an ex-officio Member of the Board of Directors, to lend his vision and leadership to address developing business across regional lines.  The Board is very pleased to say that Philip has agreed to lead a task force to coordinate work out how to avoid leakage and develop new business.  As success of the project grows, so will it expand to include additional firms, practice areas and regions.  

The Interlawyer:

Obviously you are taking the challenges head on, what about building on Interlaw strengths?

Mr. Harrowell:

Well, membership is the core asset of Interlaw and it has been a great year for us. Our top priority is always to build on organizational strength and strategic growth by identifying and inviting terrific mid sized independent law firms with the right “Interlaw fit” and we couldn’t be more pleased with the qualifications and fellowship demonstrated this year by Interlaw’s newest members.  The hospitality of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg in Chicago is surpassed only by the firm’s reputation for integrity and innovation.  To think that a member who has been with us less than a year would orchestrate a full-scale reception and formal dinner to introduce Interlawyers to corporate counsel and international business and legal media is impressive.  And we are very pleased with our friends from Lagos, Nigeria.  Chris Okeke of Ajumogobia & Okeke represented Interlaw at American Corporate Counsel, and then flew the next day to present-- with other Interlawyers --at the 2nd Annual Chinese Corporate Counsel, before coming to the Annual Global Meeting.   Our newest members from Riga, Latvia, Loze & Partners, and from Bangkok, Thailand, Blumenthal, Richter &Sumet did a great job introducing their firm capabilities at the annual meeting last month.  And there seems to be a step up of involvement from our highly respected members who have expanded to other cities.   Morton Fraser, who opened a Glasgow presence, will host the 2005 European Meeting at its home office in Edinburgh, and two of its partners have taken leadership roles in Interlaw’s Special Business Teams.  Lorne Byatt is the engine driving the European IP/IT Group, and Linda Urquhart, Morton Fraser’s managing partner, also has taken a lead role in the European Women Lawyers Group.   And the new St. Petersburg office of Pepeliaev, Goltsblat & Partners is directed by Tom Stansmore who represented Interlaw at this year’s American Corporate Counsel meeting, as well as his own firm’s interest at the European Regional Meeting and the European IP/IT Meeting. 

And in tribute to the “staying power” of Interlaw, Stevenson, Wong & Co, celebrating their 26th anniversary this year is, is one of the charter members of Interlaw.  Mr. Stevenson was our first Interlaw Chair.  So it can not go unsaid that Lai Lam, Angus Forsyth, and all their colleagues demonstrated for us all that although we make new friends, we returned to China as we began, so many years ago.