Mission

 

Make no mistake…the professional services market, in its current form, is being disrupted

For some of you it’s a burning platform, for others you are the lobster in the pot-slowly but surely cooking away. If it ever was, the law is no longer for lawyers. There is a battle to attract and retain real talent, the wellness of many in our profession is suffering, there are new technology-based entrants to the legal services market, many of whom do not have a law degree, customers (yes customers!) have choices like never before and they dislike not knowing what their legal fees are likely to be. They hate paying hourly rates.

Big Yellow Penguin

I founded Big Yellow Penguin (BYP) in 2021 with the aim of encouraging and helping lawyers and law firms to move on from the 20th century and adopt practices, including value pricing, which will make their futures more secure, both financially and operationally, and enjoy practising their craft again.

To do that we all need to embrace change and act on it. Hence ‘carte blanche to change’.

If you were to ask any member of the public what their perception of a lawyer is, a good percentage would probably use descriptors such as expensive, aloof, or difficult to contact. Some may even describe lawyers as uncommercial, and unable to explain things in a manner the customer understands. I often quote the fact that people don’t laugh at lawyer jokes because they are funny…they laugh at them because they think they are true, and if you’re a lawyer that’s not funny!

 

You may wonder why my business is called Big Yellow Penguin?

Firstly, yellow penguins do exist, but they are rare. Penguins also feature in John Kotter’s seminal work on change management “Our Iceberg is Melting” a book which I think should be essential reading for all law firm managers / partners. Finally, I have been known to address conferences and events dressed as a penguin myself!

If you are someone willing to embrace change but need some help or guidance to make things happen and get things done, then read on, we already have something in common.