Brooke North LLP is a mid-level commercial law firm serving a number of owner-managed businesses mostly based in West Yorkshire. Prior to its involvement with Shirlaws, Brooke North had already decided to reorganise its ownership. This has resulted in an improvement in the ratio of fee-earner to partners and also enabled the firm's career path to be clarified.

Managing partner Hugh Middlemass explained: "After the re-organisation we were keen to pursue a number of objectives and believed this could be achieved more quickly with help from Shirlaws."

As a first step Shirlaws audited the firm before implementation started 18 months' ago. The three partners responsible for managing the re-organisation worked with the coach to set about creating clear business functions across the firm. The management of the back office was brought into the managing partner's function and re-structured to improve efficiency and better support the legal teams. Shirlaws also works with the leaders of each of the fee earning teams to help them manage the commercial and financial objectives of the firm and to help communicate the business objectives throughout each team.

The firm's in-house training programme has been re-written and there is now a clear written career path for all legal staff. More soft skills and management training are being included in the training programme to clarify individuals' functions and to clarify the firm's objectives.

Shirlaws is working with partners to help them shift their professional outlook from lawyer to business owner. Mr Middlemass adds: "As lawyers we tend to stay focused on the exercise of our professional skills. It has been important for us to give time to direct the culture of the firm and how we wish to be perceived, both internally and externally. Similarly it has been important for us to develop our strategic, commercial and management skills. Having done this we are now starting to maximise the valuable resources we have in house, and the full commercial potential of the firm."

As for results, Brooke North has just completed its best year ever.