Creating Competitive Advantage: Strategic Talent Development for Lawyers

Clients today are more demanding and the world is more complex than ever.

Law firms also face increasing competition from other law firms, alternative legal service providers, and in-sourcing by clients. Clients consider legal expertise and operational efficiency as table-stakes. In this environment, how do law firms and lawyers distinguish themselves, to create competitive advantage to win at business development?

MI has invited experienced legal consultant, Duc Trang to run an in-depth and interactive session to explore:

• What clients really want, and what law firms are not providing

• The sales cycle of selling complex legal services

• Gaining trust in business development

• The elements of being a trusted advisor

• The role of commercial acumen and strategic thinking in developing trust

• Rethinking talent development of lawyers

The session will introduce practical ways of enhancing business development skills – do allow 1hr 15mins.

Duc splits his time between San Diego, London and Singapore, advising law firms and in-house legal departments on delivering strategic value for clients. His key areas of advisory expertise include the business of law, organizational design, and human capital strategy. Duc is also an executive coach to law firm partners, general counsel and senior counsels on developing leadership skills and enhancing performance. 

He brings a unique combination of experience as general counsel, executive coach, global law firm attorney, author, business leader, educator, and consultant, and works in the United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. 

Previously, Duc held several senior executive positions with Motorola Solutions including general counsel for Asia Pacific & Middle East regions and he was a senior attorney at IBM,. Prior to his in-house career, Duc was in private practice in California with DLA Piper, and with White & Case in Vietnam and Thailand. Duc started his career as the executive director of the Constitutional & Legislative Policy Institute in Budapest, Hungary, designing law reform projects in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Duc recently published the highly acclaimed book, Architecture of Deals: Strategies for Transactional Lawyering, focusing on innovation in legal training. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at the National University of Singapore and Central European University.

Duc is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law (J.D.) and of the University of California, Berkeley (B.A), and a fellow of the College for Law Practice Management.