About the executive committee

An executive committee is responsible for developing the future strategy of the Section and enhancing the services it already offers to its members.
 
Law Management Section Executive Committee minutes and agendas are available on the Corporate Business section of the Law Society website.

David Bott is managing partner of Bott and Co, a specialist personal injury firm based in Wilmslow, Cheshire. He was admitted in 1996 and founded Bott and Co in 2001. He has overseen his firm's growth and accreditation with Lexcel and Investors in People.

Alison Downie is a partner and head of employment at Goodman Derrick LLP in London, advising  both employers and employees in employment, discrimination and related contract and regulatory law. Her clients include law firms and other professional partnerships. She is a former managing partner of another large London law firm, and is a fomer past chair of the LMS. She is recommended as a leader in the field of employment in the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession and the Legal 500.

Nigel Haddon (Chair) is chief executive of SAS Daniels LLP, a five-office firm in the North West. He has steered the firm through three mergers to its position as Cheshire's biggest law firm. Nigel contributed two chapters to the LMS Merger Toolkit and is a regular contributor to both Managing for Success and Managing Partner magazines.
Christopher Hart is a managing partner with Hooper & Wollen specialising in licensing and commercial drafting work. He has been an active member of the Devon & Somerset Law Society's practice management sub-committee for many years and is also responsible for the South Devon Managing Partners' Forum.

Lisbeth Hughes is the business development director for Howell Jones, a regional firm based in Surrey. Lis joined the firm following a merger in 2007. With five offices spread throughout Surrey, and an office in Central London, Lis is responsible for introducing new business, developing cross-practice integration and working with key clients.

Andrew Otterburn (Vice Chair) is a mangement consultant and a chartered accountant and has advised approximately 250 firms of solicitors in the UK and Ireland on profitability, management and strategy. He has written four books for the Law Society and produces the annual survey of law firms in Scotland for the Law Society of Scotland. He was an advisor to Lord Carter’s review of legal aid procurement in England and Wales and is a founding member of the Law Consultancy Network.

Vanessa Shenton is founder of the Compliance Partner, a company offering compliance and regulatory advice to solicitors. She is a lay member of the Construction Industry Council’s Appeal Tribunal and is both a panel member and an executive committee member of the Solicitors’ Assistance Scheme.

Paul Widdup is an independent management consultant, coach and mentor. He has been a practising solicitor, and law firm partner for more than 30 years, and, until his recent retirement from Emsleys, based in Leeds, was the managing partner in a practice that has grown to eight branch offices, six estate agency offices, and more than 130 staff. He holds an MBA in legal practice management, and a postgraduate qualification in executive coaching.


The executive committee has a number of sub-groups with specific objectives, as follows:

Events
1. Review the year’s events
2. Review the events for the autumn
3. Annual Conference – decide the format and theme, include more practitioner speakers and more breakout sessions; keep a mix of practical and high level sessions 
4. Maintain local events / networking sessions
5. Look at new events such as New Partner Forum, Junior Lawyers, Women in Law Management, LMS Awards

Internal relations
1. Continue to identify and develop useful relationships with the heads of other sections and divisions
2. Report at each LMS Executive Committee meeting and at other times if appropriate on such Law Society policy matters as are relevant to LMS’s work and services
3. Consult with and hold such meetings as are required with Law Society staff in order to identify and facilitate improvements to the communication and delivery of LMS’s services; avoid duplication of services wherever possible; and ensure that LMS’s best interests continue to be represented to the Law Society
4. Monitor the allocation of resources to LMS and to make representations if required with a view to procuring sufficient resources to enable LMS to continue to operate effectively and efficiently
5. Act upon any other matters arising from LMS Executive Committee meetings which are relevant to the terms of reference of this sub-group

Membership
1. Increase the proportion of firms with an LMS member in the regions of Greater London, Eastern and Wales to 20% (currently Greater London 14%, Eastern 9% and Wales 16%)
2. Increase the proportion of two to four partners firms with an LMS member to 25% (currently 13%)
3. Increase the overall membership of the LMS by 20%

Publications
1. Be mindful of restraints of resources and budgets whilst setting objectives which will be achievable and the results measurable
2. Achieve a successful re-launch of E-alerts - contents to be more specific, less cluttered and more topical - issued 10 times a year
3. Work on programme for additional E-alerts to be sent out when targeting specific topics - such as FBS
4. Ensure MFS has real goals and special features such as LSA – also getting leaders in practice to write specific articles
5. Ensure all relevant internal stake holders receive copies of MFS
6. Work with membership sub-committee on additional copies of MFS and E- alerts to be circulated to non-members during specific membership drives
7. Regularly update and amend the LMS website to keep it topical and relevant to all LMS members
8. Ensure all Toolkits are reviewed on an annual basis

Financial Benchmarking Survey
1. Hazlewoods LLP would produce an individual report on an A5 landscape booklet for each individual participating firm
2. Marga Auz would arrange press releases
3. Jon Cartwright would write two articles for MFS