The Post Olympic Pledge

It has been glorious. The London 2012 Games have been uplift, wonderful and fulfilling. There is a positive spirit in London and around the country that hasn't been seen for a while. Speaking with family and friends, I can't see why this cannot be maintained - at the very least we can try.

With that in mind, then, I offer you my Post Olympic Pledge:

1. I will take pride in our country and I will work to be sure I can be proud of my own achievements
2. I will take pride in those sportsmen, volunteers, musician etc who take pride in their own achievements and who are selfless in their praise and recognition of others
3. I will recognise true achievement - winning really isn't everything
4. I will honour those who are dignified in victory and in defeat
5. I will engage with my neighbours and I will be interested in their stories
6. I will encourage our media to use those who have worked to achieve as our heroes and celebrities
7. I will look positively on the endeavours of passionate people

Because I am British, I do not expect to be able to achieve those things every day. I think, however, I might just be a slightly better person if I try.

I am now looking forward to the Paralympic Games to watch more committed, hard working, dedicated, focussed and dignified athletes. I just hope that our footballers have been watching closely and taking notes...

Lessons from the Apple Store

On the back of the report in the "London Evening Standard" (see here for the copy), in which it declares the Apple Store in Regent Street to be the most profitable shop in London at £2,000 per square foot, I was thinking about why this is and what lessons can be learnt.

Anyone who knows me will already be rolling their eyes and saying "Apple people..." with a sigh. I admit that I am an Apple user and a great fan. Apple have, however, taken a new route in their high street shops and one which would appear to be working.

The difference is customer focus. Give people a chance to see and use the Apple equipment, so the theory goes, and they will embrace it - and, more importantly, buy it. First of all it doesn't look particularly like a shop and has plenty of helpers at the front doors to engage with anyone needing guidance. In depth knowledge and help is available throughout the shop. Free seminars are put on all day, every day, to introduce the Apple software to both new and experienced users. Visitors - and a great number of people who come into the shop do not buy anything (this time) - are made welcome and can use any computer to access the internet or make use of the free wifi throughout the store. Above all, they have knowledgeable and committed staff working there who are trying to help customers and who are quite happy to say "I don't know" to a question - but immediately find another member of the team who can provide answers.

Of course it is easier for Apple than for other computer or software sellers since they control both hardware and software - but I think their real secret is to make a visit to the Apple store to be a pleasurable activity.

How many other businesses are there that do that - whether businesses that we work for or businesses that we consult to? How many of our customers would consider dealing with our firm as a pleasurable activity?

As in retail, so in professional services. Provide an excellent service, have committed and knowledgeable staff, and keep the needs, requirements and preferences of the clients at the forefront of all decisions. Simple!

Barristers, language, belief and knowledge

I listened today to the BBC Radio 4 programme "Between Ourselves" (available until 2nd September on iPlayer) in which Olivia O'Leary interviewed two barristers - Nick Hilliard QC and Dexter Dias QC.

Having worked with barristers for so long, I find it interesting to hear them interviewed and to see how journalists and the world at large perceive them. Both gentlemen spoke well, but that should be no surprise for two people at the top of the advocacy profession. The presenter didn't really address the issue of the public perception of barristers, which is often that that will be tall, posh, white, and have gone to a very good school before Oxbridge. This perception can actually work against the barrister. One barrister friend, who grew up in the East end of London and certainly wasn't educated at Eton, tells the story of a disappointed client who was accused of a serious assault. My friend arrived at the detention centre to interview the client - who was massively disappointed, and said so loudly. "You can't be a proper brief, you ain't posh enough".

So there is a degree of need to allow clients (and particularly clients accused of criminal offences) to feel secure in the choice of barrister - which often involves speaking "properly". Another thing to consider, and one which was pointed out to me early in my career supporting barristers, was that the voice is the barrister's main tool. I listened to Nick Hilliard speaking and noticed that he wasn't particularly posh at all - he did, however, speak with a wonderful precision of word and expression and a clarity of diction which made what he said very clear.

I was struck, throughout the programme, by how committed both barristers seemed to the notion of justice and how little cynicism there was in their statements. This seems to be apparent throughout the profession - barristers, in general, really believe in the system and in their role as an advocate for the client. Nick (who I was lucky enough to work with at Middle Temple) made the point that the job of the defence barrister is to put the best case possible on behalf of the client. Both spoke strongly about their belief that everyone deserved the best possible defence. They articulated the difference between belief and knowledge - they may believe in the guilt of a client, but it is not their place, and must not be their place, to decide that person's fate. They do not know that their client is guilty and, for as long as he or she insists on their innocence, barristers must argue the best case for them in the best possible manner.

Of course the issue of fees was brought up. Nick was confronted with a press report that he had earned over £448k in one year. The first thing to note about this is that, as a self employed barrister, this is turnover and not salary. Barristers have to pay a noticeable share to contribute to the running of chambers and then their own expenses. That notwithstanding, Mr. Hilliard is still paid well for what he does, as he acknowledged. He is however, as is Mr. Dias, one of the best in the business. In those circumstances, and in comparison to partners in firms of solicitors or accountant, I do not thing that his remuneration is unreasonable. Look at the average Profit per Equity Partner (PEP) in the UK top 50 law firms (see here for my analysis). Even if Nick were able to keep his £448k, average PEP at many of those firms is well above that sum - and Nick is far better than an average partner. A better comparison would be a partner at the likes of Linklaters or Freshfields - both of which had average PEP of over £1million - or more than double that of a "fat cat barrister".

This posting was not intended to be a defence of the bar. I was, however, pleasantly reminded of the intelligence and commitment of good barristers - it reminded me of good committee meetings with bright people who had strong moral codes.. I enjoyed hearing both Nick and Dexter speak and felt the system was in good hands.