Gigs

Patrick has worked with at least one of the top ten largest professional service firms in each of over a dozen different countries on issues associated with developing strategic differentiation, improving profitability, client service excellence, and systems for effective practice governance. His work has been featured in such publications as Fast Company, Business Week, The Globe and Mail, The Economist, Investor's Business Daily and The Financial Times of London.

"I served as the leader my firm, Baker & Daniels LLP, for 15 years.  During my tenure, I became acquainted with many, many consultants to the legal profession.  Without question, Patrick is among the best informed, most effective consultants I have encountered.  His advice is practical, candid, and clearly delivered.  Patrick engenders trust, an essential ingredient in any professional relationship.  I would recommend Patrick to any law firm leader, especially for high-level, difficult assignments requiring well-developed analytical and communications skills and seasoned experience. In short, Patrick is a 'pro'  in every sense of the word."
    Brian K. Burke, Chair Emeritus - Baker & Daniels LLP

"Patrick McKenna is a well known, busy and peripatetic consultant the host of otherwise benighted law firm managing partners."
    Harry P. Trueheart, Chairman - Nixon Peabody LLP

Most specifically, his assignments on behalf of clients have ranged from individual projects to ongoing interventions as evidenced by but a few examples:

"When Baker Donelson's Strategic Planning Committee determined that we should examine, in-depth, the impact of the current economic environment on the future of law firms in general and Baker Donelson in particular, we knew we wanted a facilitator who would bring to the table both a knowledge of our culture and a fresh perspective on the changes globally impacting knowledge-based organizations.  Patrick McKenna was the clear choice for this task.  Patrick not only kept us focused on the critical issues, he enabled us to consider these issues in the context of our Firm's history and culture.  Rather than trying to impose a cookie-cutter solution to the very complex goal of re-engineering the law firm to meet the demands of a changing market place, he facilitated a process that allowed us to develop a list of mission critical issues that built on our strengths and targeted our weaknesses.  We would recommend Patrick to any law firm that wants to take a hard look at the future of the legal profession and what it will take to be competitive in that environment."
    William S. Painter, Office Managing Shareholder and Co-Chairman, Strategic Planning Committee - Baker Donelson

"We invited a number of selected firms to propose on assisting us with our strategic planning. Initially we received 4 proposal, from Hildebrandt, McKinsey, Edge International (McKenna), and The Zeughauser Group. We had a late entrant, from the Gallup Organization. At the end of the day, Edge presented the most compelling case for our selection. We think they are the hands down best choice because they have the insight, experience, and process to best support our efforts. Their clients have all confirmed that they bring considerable skill and experience to the event, think differently than other consultants, are very intuitive and adaptable, run good process, are very proactive, don't tell you what they think you want to hear, and deliver on their promises."
       Harry S. Lewis, Chief Operating Officer - Littler Mendelson

"My former law firm often brought in various consultants over the course of the 10 years I was there -- and Patrick McKenna was by far, the best and most practical of anyone I ever heard. While there was a healthy and sometimes deserved level of cynicism when it came to consultants, Patrick was one of the very few who earned real respect in the planning sessions, and who gave the firm some very practical methods of moving forward."
       Internal Memo to Executive Committee from Tom Metzger, Partner

Patrick has helped firms in a half-dozen countries develop specific strategic plans for their industry practices in areas as diverse as: agribusiness, life sciences, financial institutions, litigation, advanced logistics, private equity, health care, waste management, franchising, women entrepreneurs, reputational management, government lobbying, and law enforcement litigation prevention.

To date, Patrick has worked with leading firms internationally in assisting their efforts to initiate, manage, and develop Client Teams to serve such Fortune 1000 Companies as: ABN Amro, Fortis Bank, ING Group, Medtronic, Nissan, Lehman Brothers, Pfizer, Schering-Plough, Unilever, and United Technologies Corporation.

"Patrick has helped our firm with a number of projects including establishing several successful 'Client Teams'. He is extremely knowledgable and works effectively with lawyers because he understands the situations and roadblocks they face."
    Clint Marcham, Marketing & Business Development Manager - Fasken Martineau

"Patrick is professional, a delight to work with, and truly at the top of his game.  As a result of his influence and the program he helped us to institute, client service is not a 'program' or 'initiative' at our firm, it is an intrinsic part of our culture."
    Lynn Catanzaro, Director of Client Development - Lowenstein Sandler

On behalf of one of the 20 largest firms based in the U.K., he provided extensive assistance and strategy development with the fee-earners of several practice groups to develop action plans for meeting the firm's expanding client needs and to counter the competitive inroads of rival firms.

A growth and diversification engagement was successfully undertaken to reposition a large 60-partner boutique seeking to reduce their dependency on one dominant practice area. The intervention resulted in 30% of future revenues coming from new practices after two years.

On behalf of an 80-year old multi-office professional service firm facing severe financial difficulties, Patrick provided hands-on turnaround counsel to rescue the firm from dissolution, by reducing expenses, enhancing revenues, and improving profitability by over 100%.

Patrick was actively involved in the initial start-up and development of one of the first successful non-legal efforts by a law firm to incorporate and operate a subsidiary business corporation.

"Patrick is a leader in the field on whom I rely for strategic advice."
    Michael B. Ray, Managing Director - Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

• PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

"Just wanted to let you know that I thought the Saturday presentation was fantastic. I really like your practical approach. I'm going to go back and use our next Practice Group meeting as a kick-off event and use many of the ideas you outlined. I'll let you know how things work out. While the large group poses some logistical challenges, the resources enable us to really make some progress. Thanks again!! I now have renewed enthusiasm to get the group moving forward."
       Robert S. Beall, Executive Committee Member and Practice Leader - Sheppard Mullin

"The feedback has been unanimous that the sessions were extremely valuable and there is a commitment to undertake the suggested development. We will want to keep you involved."
       J. T. Smith, Firm Chairman - professional service firm with 4 offices and over 100 professionals.

Patrick has provided hands-on guidance, coaching and training to practice group managers from over 85 law, accounting, public relations, and consulting firms in the U.S., the UK, Canada and throughout Europe, on how to build and nurture high-performance teams.

On behalf of a growth-oriented East Coast firm, he resolved a firm-threatening dispute involving senior partners by facilitating the restructuring of their governance and compensation systems to the satisfaction of everyone involved.

Working with the Executive Committee of one of Europe's largest firms, he utilized a proprietary process to aid the management team, coming from five countries, to define, articulate and communicate a common perception of the firm's future direction together with a management structure and the action plans necessary to fulfil their growth goals.

Working with the Executive Committee of a global law firm, Patrick provided a series of sessions for the office managing partners from over 50 different offices. These sessions covered diverse skill issues from how to help professionals set personal objectives and how to build team spirit, to how to improve underproductive performance and how to successfully confront problem behavior.

"Terrific consultant."
    David Foltyn, Chairman and CEO - Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP

• RETREATS

"First rate consultant who very quickly impressed partners and associates with his professionalism. This led to the sessions having a great deal of credibility with the lawyers."
       Wylie Spicer, Chairman - McInnes Cooper

Over the years Patrick has conducted Retreats for over 115 firms, occasionally including separate sessions for both associates and support staff. These retreats have covered topics ranging from organizing focused business development efforts to defining the specific commitment that partners owe each other - always incorporating the development of specific action plans together with a process that ensures ease of implementation and follow-up.