Ask any lawyers over 50 about their traineeship and they’ll balefully recite memories of proof-reading leases and writing out income tax schedules. They’ll recall Dickensian rooms of cash ledgers, and documents being sewn up with blue (deeds) or pink (Wills) thread. And that was even in the very un-Dickensian 1970s and 1980s.
Lawyers of the 1980s and earlier also remember the morning ritual of opening the mail to see what had come in from clients, and then dealing with it all in a fairly leisurely manner. Technology has dramatically changed all that.
The 1980s saw the arrival of the first fax machines, making business a little more immediate, especially for the corporate and commercial teams.
Next came the computer. Alasdair Cummings, our Managing Partner, says the first time he ever had a PC on his desk was in 1994 when he came back to Lindsays after working in London for a few years.
Then of course there was email. Clients now expect – and receive – faster turnaround times than ever. Though anyone who works in an office occasionally bemoans the constant ping of email, it’s transformed our ability to provide our services to clients. There’s no waiting for the mail to arrive with crucial information; it’s easier to find out anything we ever need to know; and we can easily communicate with clients or contacts all over the world.
And it’s worth pointing out that email hasn’t completely taken over. As part of our flexible approach to working for clients, we’re equally happy to work by phone, letters and in person.
Our commitment to flexibility also means we talk with some clients at regular intervals, and others on an ad hoc basis – exactly as they wish. However you prefer us to communicate with you, we’re happy to oblige.
