Lawyer Monthly Magazine - April 2019 Edition

inception in 1991. This gradual success has been based on, firstly, the quality of our reports and their comprehensiveness and robustness. Secondly, we understand the practical implications of the ‘Customer- Supplier’ chain aspect of “getting things right the first time”. The key managers, the experts and I, all understand the complexity of civil litigation and the need for accessibility and clarity of opinions. Does Hugh Koch Associates understand how law firms operate? Following on the ‘customer- supplier’ discussion above, I am a regular contributor to law magazines and journals on Law Firm and Insurer Firm quality issues. My recent articles on “Putting a spring in your legal step” and “Transforming your firm into a ‘resilient’ one”, have illustrated this expertise. In addition to our considerable medico-legal experience, my team and I understand how successful firms are organised and operate. Can Psychology help lawyer wellbeing and resilience? In 2017, I was appointed to a prestigious post at Birmingham City University of Visiting Professor in Law and Psychology, mandated to develop collaborative links between these two professions. A unique position which is already bearing fruit in terms of teaching the next wave of potential lawyers, barristers and judges about how psychological processes affect legal behaviour. In particular, I am developing teaching, training and publications in areas of Lawyer Wellbeing and Resilience, Evidential Uncertainty management and Impartiality skills. My considerable experience of personal and professional resilience building is providing an invaluable contribution to the legal students and academic population. Should law firms and insurance firms understand the concept of organisational resilience? Law firms and insurance firms, like all other businesses, need to understand their own processes in order to be successful. This starts with the culture or ‘atmosphere’ in the firm at all levels, but especially at the leadership/managerial level – a positive and valuing culture which is evident from senior staff is a crucial component of a quality culture. Staff need to feel recognised and empowered in order to produce highly efficient work day-in and day-out. Secondly, referring back to the aforementioned, a clear understanding of how customer- supplier chains operate is crucial. This helps to clarify and understand the inevitable conflicts which occur within and between companies in the legal sector. Thirdly, each company will have a large number of processes which, even if they ‘seem’ to run well, need ‘continuous quality improvement’ to develop and also keep pace with changes in the claims market. LM FIRM PROFILE HK Associates, managed by Professor Hugh Koch, is a long-established (1991) medico-legal reporting firm based in Cheltenham. It provides psychological assessment services in 105 towns and cities through- out England, Wales and Scotland. Orthopaedic assessment services are available in Cheltenham and surrounding areas. We are very accessible and timely in our servic- es, typically offering an appointment within 4-6 weeks, reporting back two weeks after seeing a claimant. Law firms and insurance firms, like all other businesses, need to understand their own processes in order to be successful. APR 2019 51 Expert Witness www. lawyer-monthly .com