Legal Project Management (LPM)

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1 Legal Project Management (LPM) NGB Extra session 9 February 2017

Agenda Introduction LPM 15.45 16.30 Examples / common pitfalls 16.30 16.45 Break 16.

2 Agenda Introduction LPM Examples / common pitfalls Break Planning exercise and group discussion Drinks starting at 18.00

3 Both law firms and in-house counsel face a challenge to "deliver more for less" Less budget available for legal support Increasing demand for transparency and compliance How to deliver more / different legal work quicker, cheaper, better? More centralization, harmonization and control 3

4 Legal Tech and Legal Project Management are ways to reduce and streamline workload Legal Tech Legal Project Management Efficiency Effectiveness Focus / Priorities Image source: unsplash.com 4

5 Legal Project Management: what is it? Project management in the legal context Focus on process and structure besides the content (approach, coordination, communication, governance, planning, budget etc.) Relatively new as an 'independent discipline' in the legal arena More and more law firms and clients realize its value However, project management principles are useful for in-house counsels as well Especially since in-house counsels' responsibilities for legal projects and initiatives have increased (compliance, contract management, M&A etc.) 5

6 Successful projects usually follow a 3-step path Preparation Execution Evaluation Scoping and approach Definition of (core) scope / add ons Determination of crucial deadlines and high-level approach Make a (draft) plan and budget Preliminary assessment staffing requirements and feasibliity Alignment and validation with key stakeholders, third parties Project preparation Set up governance structure and determine communication flows Determine project team, Steerco and governance and brief them Schedule core meetings Set up (financial) systems and prepare for status reporting Set up collaboration platforms and determine standard templates et cetera Day to day team coordination Define roles within project team, address questions etc Facilitate interaction within team Maintain / update collaboration platforms Budget and planning management Prepare / update detailed planning and monitor progress (and take action if needed) Monitor cost vs budget and take actions if needed Support decision making Status updates on fees and work progress Pro-actively address issues and find ways to resolve them with SteerCo Ensure that follow up on issues actually happens Evaluation Have team feedback sessions and try to draw lessons for future projects Both in terms of content and in terms of cooperation, process, approach etc Capture know how and experience Make sure know how, templates and lessons learned can be leveraged in future projects Often forgotten / neglected 6

7 LPM goes beyond project administration Objectives, expectations and deadlines are more aligned Client / team satisfaction Budget monitoring increases budget discipline and triggers discussions at an early stage More predictability / conscious decisions on budget aspects Frequent iterations and communication between team members Increased efficiency and more focus Focus on "value of output" rather than "hours of input" Higher effectiveness Source / inspiration:: Lexician.com and Steven B. Levy s 7

8 Common pitfalls / issues during projects usually have similar drivers 1 2 Project goals / objectives are not clear or seem to shift over time Everyone works very hard, but no one is happy with the end result Lack of preparation and alignment upfront 3 4 (Perception of) project scope expands dramatically over time Large budget overruns / delays become evident at late stage Communication problems 5 Motivation / Energy levels diminish during the project Unclear governance 8

Let's share experiences and discuss best practices What kind of project consumes a lot of time and energy? What situations lead to frustration / communiction problems?

9 Let's share experiences and discuss best practices What kind of project consumes a lot of time and energy? What situations lead to frustration / communiction problems? What are your other concerns? AND How to reach your project goals faster and with less costs / energy? What works in practice to improve this? Image source: unsplash.com 9

10 Further reading / viewing Video: Steven B. Levy - What is legal project management? Video: David Allen - Getting in control and creating space TEDxAmsterdam Book: Steven B. Levy Legal Project Management: control costs, meet schedules, manange risks, and maintain sanity Book: Pamela H. Woldow and Douglas B/ Richardson Legal Project Management in one hour for lawyers Image source: unsplash.com 10

11 Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam N.V. is a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein with member law firms around the world. In accordance with the common terminology used in professional service organisations, reference to a "partner" means a person who is a partner, or equivalent, in such a law firm. Similarly, reference to an "office" means an office of any such law firm. This may qualify as Attorney Advertising requiring notice in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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