CLI Distinguished Fellow, Sarah El-Atm is our guest host for this episode (one of three). Sarah’s 12-month Fellowship explored whether client problems can be better solved by multidisciplinary teams (lawyers and allied professionals).

In this first episode, Sarah identified, analysed and discussed the importance, evolution and nature of multidisciplinary teams in contemporary legal practice. Practical insights and examples were provided by Hilary Goodier, Partner and Co-Division Head (formerly Partner and Chief Operating Officer) at Ashurst Advance; Mick Sheehy, Partner New Law at PwC; Anu Briggs, Head of Capability, Development, and Change at Gilbert + Tobin; Jemima Harris, Legal and Strategic Projects Director at Megaport (formerly Head of Legal Operations & Tech at LOD); and Denise Doyle, Chief Product Officer, Xakia Technologies (formerly Specialist Legal Operations Consultant).

Topics covered in the episode include:

• What a multidisciplinary team is within the context of the legal profession.
• How the demand from clients is continuing to change, and shape, legal teams.
• Why it is important to think holistically about a client’s legal problem and not just through a legal lens.

Additional resources:

• You’ll find additional information of these topics in Sarah’s blog posts, Can legal matters be solved better within multidisciplinary teams? and, Is there a place for multidisciplinary teams in the legal profession?
• Don’t forget to tune in for the second and third episodes in this three part series, Episodes 106 and 107, you’ll find them here.