Will lawyers dare to be different

The International Bar Association conference in Amsterdam entitled 'Rethinking the law firm' in March this year showed that, despite huge differences in legal systems, law firms around the world face remarkably similar management problems. 'Isn't it amazing how, if you lined up all 160 of us delegates against a dark wall,' said Michael Simmons of Finers, the London West End firm, to the august gathering, 'the firing squad would miss us.