PRAISE FOR
THE LEGAL MINI-MBA
Aaron Pendlebury
Head of People and Talent
Stevens & Bolton
“Partnering with James and Darren on the Legal MBA has been a highly valuable investment in the development of our senior lawyers. The programme has a strategic breadth, which equips our people with practical commercial skills, pricing, strategy, service design, and operational thinking, that directly enhance how we deliver for clients.
Our lawyers have described it as transformative, helping them challenge old habits, think more strategically, and apply new models with confidence. This approach is an important part of our talent development, supporting our ambition to build a more commercially confident and client‑centric firm.”
Claire Kilpatrick
Managing Associate
Stevens & Bolton
"A great succinct course, with a mixture of 'lecturing', homework and group discussion, which made me re-evaluate my engagement with the commercial side of legal practice. The course has made me re-assess how I and my team approach subjects such as BD and pricing. It has also given me practical ideas and more importantly, provided me with tools to develop my team and practice in the future. You managed to fit a lot of information into a short course, thank you!"
John Boon
Partner
Roythornes
"This course has been incredibly useful in enabling me to better understand how I might seek to grow and manage the Family Team and contribute to the growth strategy of the firm. I have particularly enjoyed hearing from my colleagues about their experiences and issues within their teams and I hope that one of the things that comes out of this is that we communicate more regularly as a Partnership regarding some of the topics that we have covered in this course. Thank you to James and Darren for all of their hard work, guidance and good humour!"
Adam White
CEO
Roythornes
"Over the last 12 months, The Legal MBA programme has supported our growth ambitions by helping our partners to link their team and individual contributions with the wider strategy of the firm, it has also allowed them to see a clear link between what they do and the firms performance.
For those that have completed the MBA I have already seen a marked improvement in the quality of analysis and business planning they undertake as well as much broader approach towards objectives which historically would have been just a number. Additionally, it has helped those who have undertaken The Legal MBA think much more around recruitment and the value of a team for their own work/life balance but also being clear on the story being told to those who are thinking of joining us, making their own career paths clearer on joining."
Alex Armstrong
Partner
Roythornes
"Thanks once again for the course you and Darren ran. I found each live session very interesting. They were engaging and bought the book to life.
I particularly found sharing experiences with the other partners of the firm from different practice areas very informative. You and Darren helped facilitate those discussions.
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The sessions struck a good balance between reinforcing materials from the book and elearning and building on these with additional examples.
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What I learnt will be beneficial to me in the remainder of my legal career. I'd recommend the live programme for partners looking to build their understanding of the business of law and better understand how to manage their practice.
By the end of the live programme I could really see how the different elements of running a successful legal practice came together."
Layla Babadi
Partner
Roythornes
"The Mini-MBA programme was great. It made me realise there were significant opportunities to better align the partners within the Family practice and across the different offices. We could also better leverage specialisms within the team. Following the programme, I implemented monthly and quarterly team meetings to bring the team together in a more structured way, and I revised our approach to new enquiries such that junior fee earner utilisation doubled within a month as a result of better work allocation. In turn, this frees up the partners and improves matter profitability. I'd wholeheartedly recommend the programme to others."
Claire Stripp
Head of Knowledge and Learning
Browne Jacobson
“The Legal MBA is well put together, with content that's useful for lawyers developing business cases or setting strategy. James and Darren are very knowledgeable, personable and flexible, working collaboratively with us as real team players. The programme gives participants useful focus time on the business concepts of delivering legal work, with engaging and interactive sessions.”
Desley Sherwin
Partner
Roythornes
“James and Darren have been fantastic in the live sessions. My brain is now sparking with ideas to improve the structure and commerciality of my team plans going forward."
Jo Grewer
Partner
Roythornes
"I would recommend the Legal Mini MBA to anyone looking to rethink how legal services are delivered. It has helped me to take a step back, review and develop a more strategic and perspective, giving me practical tools to reshape service provisions so they are clear, more efficient and better aligned."
Victoria Hatton
Partner
Browne Jacobson
"I was lucky enough to be part of the mini MBA programme you ran for my firm. It was excellent - insightful, reflective and accessible - and delivered with good humour and a genuine commitment to demystify the business of being a lawyer"
Hannah Leese
Partner
Roythornes
"The course was engaging and informative. It got me thinking about how to grow our firm from an entirely new perspective. James and Darren have a knack for giving practical, helpful advice - not just telling you what you need to do in order to be successful at running a law firm, but giving key tips and insights on how to achieve it. James and Darren are masters at helping others to master the business of law. Would highly recommend!"
You can find out more about The Legal Mini-MBA for firms here, and for individuals here
PRAISE FOR
THE LEGAL MBA ESSENTIALS
Joe Cohen
Director of Innovation
Charles Russell Speechlys
"This book really brings out the extensive experience of the two authors, providing numerous practical examples of how to build out your law firm strategy. The authors are able to make complex concepts quite simple and enjoyable. A must read for any business minded professional in a legal setting."
Rowena Rix
Heda of Innovation & AI
Dentons
"A valuable handbook filled with practical advice, based on relatable examples which bring the themes to life. A book to keep handy for a trusted advisor in your pocket when you need it; its accessibility testament to the writers’ relaxed and enjoyable writing style."
Alex Harwood
Senior Associate
Phillips Law
"The Legal MBA offers invaluable insights into the world of business law. This book goes beyond abstract theories and, instead, provides practical strategies and models that can be implemented immediately.
I particularly appreciate the clear framework provided, outlining how individual actions, team efforts, and firm-wide approaches can contribute to success within the legal ecosystem. This holistic perspective helps those in the legal industry understand how their work fits into the larger legal landscape.
One aspect that stands out is the inclusion of key next steps at the end of each chapter. These action items serve as a valuable reference point , allowing me to revisit and apply the concepts discussed in a real-world context.
As someone working in the legal field, I find The Legal MBA to be an essential guide that will continue to be relevant throughout my career. The practical strategies and clear advice provided by James and Darren will undoubtedly help me and my firm navigate the ever-evolving challenges in the legal market.
Overall, I highly commend James Markham and Darren Mee for their excellent work in creating such a concise, comprehensive and practical resource. The Legal MBA is a must-read for anyone seeking to enhance their understanding of business law and apply it effectively in their professional endeavors."
Gareth Guyers
Business and Data Analyst
Rajah & Tann Asia
"Very easy to follow and engaging."
James Arnold
Head of Legal Project Management
Dentons
"An essential resource for private practice legal operations professionals and lawyers alike. The Legal MBA is well thought through and makes complex concepts accessible and digestible. The book is replete with practical examples that bridge the gap between theory and real-world application, providing readers with actionable insights to enhance their legal operations. It's a must-read for anyone looking to excel in the legal industry, offering wisdom that could only come from seasoned experts in the field. A well-deserved five stars for this comprehensive and practical guide"
Karen Peskett-Hall
Chief Transformation Officer
Kennedys
"A great read and an essential guide for anyone working in legal who want to maximise their impact and ability to get stuff done with some amazingly useful tools and templates"
Alexis Condie
Partner
Harper Macleod
"This book is a great, informative read that gives brilliant practical examples of how to manage and run a successful business in a legal context. As a new partner I have found it extremely useful in helping me to understand the way in which firms should be making decisions to best serve their own and their clients’ needs. The book is concise, with excellent real life law firm examples that put the lessons into context in a manner that even those with no management experience should find easy to follow. The authors raise questions that really help to focus your mind on what the important issues for your practice are and they guide you systematically through each step of the process to ensure that you understand why, for example, how you market yourself and to which markets really matters. Clearly set out, well written with lots of useful tables, diagrams and access to online resources to help in your journey it’s a great one stop shop. I can see myself coming back to this again and again."
Sarah Charig
Senior Product Manager
Norton Rose Fulbright
"I found the book a really helpful and practical overview of a law firm set up and the common challenges that can result from this. Each chapter goes into enough detail, and provides a range of tools and strategies, for you to implement change quickly, whilst also providing sources for deeper dives where applicable. I'm looking forward to putting a lot of this book into practice. The prioritisation techniques have already made a difference."
Katja Ullrich-North
Partner, Director of Knowledge Management
Simmons & Simmons
"There is a wealth of information and training materials when it comes to the practice of law, but there is a gap when it comes to the business of law and the commercial running of a legal practice. The Legal MBA credibly addresses that gap and is a worthwhile read for lawyers working in private practice."
Ian Rands
Pricing Director
Freeths
"A book that would benefit both lawyers and also other young professionals looking to build a career in the legal sector, be it in Finance, Marketing, HR, Technology functions. I always say that working on the legal sector is unique, but this book starts to de-mystify some of those challenges of delivering an efficient and profitable law firm and gives you smart ways to approach your thinking."
Dan Lowen
Partner
Dentons
"Does a fantastic job of cutting out the noise and providing insights that can really make a difference. I am almost loathe to recommend it as I don't want to share the competitive advantage!"
Nigel Lang
Chief Information Officer
Fieldfisher
"James and Darren have captured the framework of an MBA and distilled it through the lens of a professional services organisation. An excellent tool to have in the toolbox!"
Karen Snell
Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer
Kennedys
"One of the threads running throughout The Legal MBA is to be clear on what clients you work with, what services you offer them and then organise the more operational elements of your legal practice to deliver on this. This client focused approach gives much needed clarity to lawyers and business services professionals alike and I'd recommend the book to anyone looking for a more commercial approach to running a legal practice."
You can purchase a copy of The Legal MBA Essentials here