Recognising successful women empowers other women because it shows them a path to success. That is why it is essential to see female-led firms, like Law 365, where a woman is setting the agenda and daring to disrupt the way client (and lawyers) view the profession.
As the CEO and Founder of Law 365, Kim Simmonds is inspiring female leadership by her own example, and she is redefining what success looks like.
“One of the most damaging expectations people have is that lawyers need to be available 24/7. It drives people out of the profession. To accommodate diversity, we need to create an environment where everyone can flourish. Working 24/7 and clockwatching is a revenue model, but it is not a life.”
And Kim’s demonstrating that her way works: The firm has quadrupled in size in the last year, bringing in over 30 new clients and 10 staff, and has won numerous awards for innovation and leadership.
Disrupting the Legal Profession
Kim founded Law 365 in 2014, knowing that the traditional legal system was broken. As CEO, she is disrupting the legal profession with a new business model, selling legal services on a monthly subscription, and charging for tangible outcomes rather than by the minute.
Deciding Best Course for Business
The team at Law 365 is uniquely qualified to troubleshoot for its clients because Law 365 specialise solely in their market. Clients benefit not only from Law 365’s extensive legal knowledge but also from its many years of experience in their business – Law 365 knows the pain points that every Microsoft Partner faces and there is not much it has not seen.
Kim’s role as CEO is like the barrel man in the crow’s nest of a ship. She is the one who looks to the horizon and sees what lies ahead and the best course for the business. She does this for Law 365 and for her clients too. Her vision and instinct are at the heart of the services Law 365 provides. Kim anticipates what its clients’ needs will be before they know them, often publishing eBook guides to help them be prepared. For example, she wrote an Covid-focused eBook just as the pandemic was taking off, providing employment advice and contractual support. More recently Law 365 has published blogs and articles on the end of the transition to Brexit and what that means for Microsoft Partners. With Law 365’s view of the horizon, it is able to guide and support them before they hit troubled waters.
Encouraging and inspiring others
Kim believes in creating an environment where everyone can flourish. She thinks there should be more championing of women and believes that Awards like this help to build confidence and raise the profiles of change makers so others can follow in their footsteps.
Kim says, “Women need to be better at shouting about their success. Until they do that, they need to have their praises sung for them, they need to be pushed and encouraged to lean in and to accept praise and recognition.”
Participating in the Community
Every member of the Law 365’s team is engaged in contributing to its local community and wider society. The team participated in the Legal Walk 2020, walking 10K and raising over £5K for Citizens Advice, Tunbridge Wells & District, which provides invaluable free legal advice to those who can’t afford to pay for it.
For years Kim has been incubating a plan for a new charity called Be-Amazing which will create opportunities for young people (finding internships, matching with mentors) plus an apprenticeship program for young adults between 14-24.
Legal meets the Membership Economy
Law 365 sells its legal services as a subscription for members, like Spotify or Netflix. Clients pay a flat monthly fee tied to tangible results instead of the minute-counting or pools of hours that comes with the old model of billable hours. This makes their financial forecasting straightforward and easy to financially support. It also builds trust. At the beginning of its relationship with each client it makes a commitment to them which we call its “Forever Promise.” Law 365 promises that it will work with them to make sure their business is in the best possible shape for ambitious yet sustainable growth.
Law 365 has created a membership society through the Forever Promise, with plans to offer networking and events for its client members. During lockdown, it recently started a “Book club” for 40+ of its client members, which has been so popular it has received requests to be added to the list.
Creating a Happy Place to Work
Along with running the business, overseeing the legal services, nurturing members, and winning new clients, Kim also feels personally responsible for maintaining the wellbeing of her staff.
Law 365 is a happy place to work. She provides every employee with a professional executive coach, every month. There are team coaching sessions too, yoga and meditation weekly, and special treats like gong baths, chocolate making sessions and cooking classes. When the country went into lockdown last year, she sent food and wellness care packages to all her staff at home. Plus, she arranged home delivery of champagne and glittery cocktails to welcome new staff and celebrate birthdays! Wellness is at the heart of the business.
When she became a mother, Kim felt like she only had two choices – the law or motherhood. But today she’s showing her team that there is a third option. With strong leadership, it’s possible to balance both family life and your profession judiciously.
Embracing the Latest Advances in Technology
The future of Law 365 lies in adapting to scale on the back of the firm’s impressive growth and embracing the latest advances in technology to enhance their services. Law 365 is planning to unveil some exciting innovations in legal AI soon.
Law 365 is developing some incredible tools which will come to the market in the next few years and will be available for its existing clients beforehand.
Kim’s KPIs are nailing the staff welfare and offering excellent service to Law 365’s clients using the latest Microsoft technologies.