Sometimes we worry that we’re the only corporate news/gossip medium prepared to have a dig at the chiefs of corporate firms. We therefore heartily welcomed the character assassination directed by the BRW a few weeks ago to ex-Minters chief Guy Templeton:
“Traditionally, a non-lawyer at the helm of a law firm has not been considered a success. The most recent experiment with non-lawyer leadership occurred at Minter Ellison, where management consultant Guy Templeton was chief executive for five years before he left earlier this year.
“The firm went back to the traditional model appointing one of its partners, John Weber, as chief executive.”
Ouch!
Incidentally, John Weber is presiding over a firm that one staff member recently assessed in the following fashion:
Minters must win the award for Australia’s tightest law firm. A salary wide freeze continues even though the managing partner of our firm admits we are making budget. Many SA’s don’t even get a Blackberry (all lawyers get them at some firms). Rise to the lofty height of SA and you will get a mobile phone though… What is this, the mid 90’s?!
There’s a hostile approach to technology – three people need to sign off before you get the “privilege” of being able to log in from home… apparently if they cant see you doing the work, you can’t be trusted to do it. To make it worse there’s a lot of incentive to work from home because the offices are old, the chairs are unergonomic and the fit out is falling apart (I’m being serious!).
Perks don’t even exist: even the fruit box has been stopped. The printers and photocopiers break down with amazing regularity and the library is so underfunded it has practically turned into a museum. Sadly the tightness doesn’t stop with staff – client functions are embarrassing compared to other firms … just because you offer wine doesn’t make it a classy function.
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