Norling Law invests in staff’s professional and personal development
Norling Law, named one of NZ Lawyer’s Fastest-Growing Law Firms for 2023, has made a substantial investment in its people and strategic business planning. It stays open to opportunities, which can help invigorate its workforce.
The specialist boutique firm’s strategies include devoting funds to its staff’s professional and personal development, having quarterly leadership strategy sessions, and focusing on client outcomes.
The firm hired Glenn Marvin, a non-lawyer and certified scaling-up coach with almost 20 years of experience, as its chief operating officer.
“If we didn’t have the right people, we wouldn’t get the growth we’ve had,” he told NZ Lawyer.
Marvin and the rest of the firm’s leadership team use regular strategy meetings to discuss all areas of the business and to prioritise and tackle three to five issues that will deliver the most momentum.
“We have a business philosophy that we should celebrate awkward conversations because they are an opportunity for growth,” Marvin said. “If we haven’t nailed something, it’s critical that we take that on board and learn from it.”
Norling Law adopts an outcome-focused approach and measures success by the number of people that it guides through uncertain times, not by the number of its clients.
“People engage us for one reason and one reason only: to help resolve a problem, and it’s amazing how many times we don’t need to litigate because we go down every legal avenue to achieve the outcome for the client,” Marvin said. “If we can get outcomes faster for the clients, we end up with a raving fan base of people we have helped that refer people to us.”
The firm ensures that it protects its culture and values, even if it means that the growth of its headcount is slower, Marvin said.
“Every decision we make passes through the lens of our core values, and we celebrate success in living these values,” he added.
The full list of New Zealand’s Fastest-Growing Law Firms of 2023 can be found here.
