Firms need to hold their nerve and invest in lateral hires even in challenging economic times, according to the managing partner of Silver Circle firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP).

BLP grew its business by 20 percent and eight percent in 2011 and 2012 respectively, a result which managing partner Neville Eisenberg attributed to “an uncompromising focus on quality coupled with a commitment to continue hiring top notch lawyers and partners despite the downturn.” 

 “One of the key elements in a financial crisis is to continue investment in senior lawyers and partners from other firms,” he said. He added that while prior to the GFC it was “harder to dislodge clients” from their incumbent lawyers, in the current economic climate, clients of all sizes were far “more open to listening to creative ideas from lawyers.”

Eisenberg will be a speaker at the 2013 Managing Partners conference being held in Queensland this month, organised by Chilli IQ.  Other speakers will be Jason Ricketts, the Australian managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills; Danny Gilbert, managing partner at Gilbert + Tobin, and Sharon Cook, managing partner of Henry Davis York.