Case Studies

BOULT WADE TENNANT

	There was good chemistry between us and Harvey Nash from the outset. They also seemed to be genuinely interested in the project rather than seeing it as just another job
	Rupert Cross, Managing Partner, Boult Wade Tennant

Boult Wade Tennant is a firm of patent attorneys with offices in London, Cambridge, Oxford and Reading. Relatively small compared to City law firms, with 19 partners, the firm is very busy and does over half of its business overseas. It decided to appoint a chief operating officer to reduce the amount of the time the partners were having to spend managing the firm.

When Harvey Nash consultant Justin Hobday first met the management committee at Boult Wade Tennant, he worked with them to develop a job specification and an ideal candidate profile. A primary requirement was that candidates, for what would be a key and very powerful role, fitted into the firm¹s professional culture even though they were unlikely to be qualified lawyers themselves.

Boult Wade Tennant, a firm of patent attorneys, wanted to appoint a COO in order to reduce the amount of time the partners spent on management

Harvey Nash helped them develop a job and a candidate specification, advising them on the most appropriate blend of skills for what would be a challenging role

In May 2006 the firm appointed Fay Gillott to the role from a senior operational job in top City law firm Lovells

As Managing Partner Rupert Cross puts it: "We are collegiate and we all like to have a say. For someone to gain the respect of the partners and be effective they would need both diplomacy and the strength of character to push for what they believed was right."

Harvey Nash drew up a shortlist based on an advertisement in The Sunday Times and a targeted search. Boult Wade Tennant had thought the candidate should also have a financial background in order to master the firm's complex multi-currency billing practices. But Harvey Nash believed that restricting the search to qualified accountants was too narrow, and a second shortlist containing additional financially-qualified candidates confirmed its view a view accepted by the firm.

In May 2006 the job was offered to Fay Gillott, who had held a senior operational role at Lovells - another, much bigger, law firm - and was the favourite candidate from the first shortlist.

Cross says: "There was good chemistry between us and Harvey Nash from the outset. They listened to what we wanted, but also played a very active role in helping us develop the job and candidate descriptions. They had to deal with a big group of decision makers, but they co-ordinated the process very capably, as well as keeping the candidates from the first shortlist warm. They also seemed to be genuinely interested in the project rather than seeing it as just another job".