How a focus on managing intangible assets drives performance in Australian law firms

This paper looks at the determinants of performance in medium to large Australian law firms in Sydney and Melbourne. The focus is on determining the specific I.C. and human resource management practices that contribute to a law firm’s performance. The opinions of a select sample of some of the most prominent and informed consultants, managers and managing partners in these markets, is used. Decisions to invest in human capital building programs are not taken lightly in these contexts; partners are spending their own money, thus their beliefs around ‘what works and why’ are of great interest to management research. We find that there is convergence in the perceptions of this sample around fourteen key practices. We outline the qualitative method, (convergent interviewing), and directions for future research.