This blog, written by Alex Schaafsma, a Partner in the Banking & Finance Team at Birketts LLP, shares insights from her experience attending our Law Firm Partner Executive Education programme, where she was joined by colleagues from the firm. This post is part of the Executive Education Law Firm Partner series.
Can you tell us about your role in your firm and the reason why you joined the programme?
Birketts LLP is a UK Top 50 law firm, with seven offices based across the south of England. I am a partner in the Cambridge office and Head of the Banking and Finance Team – which is a cross-office team located in four locations primarily. I joined the programme for several reasons: firstly, my team has rapidly expanded over the last five years and in doing so, a leadership style that might have been suitable five years ago now needs to be reconsidered and secondly, I have a genuine interest in strategic thinking and leadership from the wider perspective of the firm in the context of a continuingly evolving business environment.
Before joining the programme, what were your biggest challenges in areas such as leadership, strategy, technology and talent within your firm?
Lawyers are, generally speaking, not fast to embrace change, and the cosmic shift we face in relation to AI is treated by many in my profession either with suspicion or exasperation. Added to that are the complications of trying to attract and manage talent from a multi-generational talent pool. In many ways, the changes that we face are, at their core, the same as ones that have been faced by leaders for centuries, just how they present themselves is different. I think the main challenge is largely how to fundamentally engage people in how to approach the future.
Following your experience on the Law Firm Partner as a Leader programme in March, what has made the biggest impact to you, your team or firm?
I think that the programme really clarified things to me – some of which seemed very obvious once they had been pointed out, and others less so, but it really changed my perspective. I feel confident that I have more tools to address the issues I face, and it was very reassuring to speak to others on the course and realise that none of us are alone and we are all facing similar challenges!
How has your perspective on running a legal business evolved since completing the programme?
There was a great expression used by another delegate on my course ‘leave no partner behind’ which I loved. Birketts as a firm has doubled in size over the last five years, which is hugely exciting but of course presents new challenges, and focus on what we should do more of, and what we should do less of. We are a very collegiate firm, that’s always looked after its people, and it was a good reminder that although we are going through this fantastic period of growth, we do need to consider our future direction and strategy carefully. We can, and should, do this in a way that takes everyone with us, to the extent we can.
As a leader in a firm what skills will be most valuable for growth in 2025?
I see leadership as a team activity; it’s all about the ability to engage others and get them to join and support you in what you are trying to achieve – as we learnt on the first day of the course – a leader without any followers is just someone taking a walk!
Stacey Clifford, Executive Education Client Relationship Manager shares: Alex Schaafsma is a forward-thinking leader who embraces both challenges and opportunities in the legal industry. Throughout the programme, she brought a strong strategic mindset and a genuine commitment to inclusive leadership. As Birketts LLP continues to grow, her ability to adapt and engage her team will be invaluable. It has been a pleasure to see her insights in action, and I’m confident she’ll make a lasting impact on her firm and the wider profession.
Learn more about the Law Firm Partner as a Leader programme >
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