What do you think attracts clients to Addleshaw Goddard as opposed to other firms?

I think Addleshaw Goddard has several unique selling points that attract clients to the firm. Firstly, AG’s problem-solving framework ‘Law, Plus More’ takes a holistic approach to clients’ needs, meaning that AG is more than a law firm. The combination of legal, technology, resourcing and consultancy expertise maximises value created for clients, as experts from a variety of specialisms collaborate to deliver the fastest, smartest solution. This approach has innovation and flexibility built into it, providing the client with a cost-effective high impact service, as highlighted by the firm’s use of alternative billing approaches.

Secondly, AG’s client-centric approach makes the firm stand out from its rivals. For example, in 2005 AG foresaw the challenges that in-house legal teams would be facing in the near future caused by the ‘more-for-less’ dilemma. AG stayed ahead of the curve by creating the Client Development Centre and AG Consulting. The firm provides services in line with each client’s individual strategies and needs, using its expertise to help in-house teams operate more efficiently and more impactfully. This demonstrates AG’s effectiveness in utilising its expertise to deliver bespoke services.

Lastly, the firm has earned a strong reputation as a result of its innovation and quality of work. For example, AG has been recognized as a Top Five Law Firm in Europe for Innovation. Awards of this calibre form an important part of the consideration process during which clients get assurance regarding the firm’s expertise. Furthermore, the firm boasts a large proportion of returning clients. This reflects the high level of legal and sector knowledge that AG lawyers possess, leading to stronger client relationships. AG’s international network and resourcing expertise mentioned earlier also mean that the firm is better equipped for addressing a variety of their clients’ concerns compared to other rival firms.

Our thoughts

Positives

• This answer gets straight to the point, with a nice introductory sentence, and maintains a clear structure throughout. It is also very well written, without glaring typos.
• It focuses on what clients would care about, rather than what employees would care about, which is the correct approach (but the latter approach could be an mistake to make).
• It picks out specific branded initiatives (e.g. “Law, Plus More” and “AG Consulting” etc.), as well as statistics (“Top Five Law Firm in Europe”), which demonstrates thorough, firm-specific research.
• Most points link back to the question, and the arguments within each paragraph build nicely.

Potential points for improvement

• The applicant could have explained what is meant by “alternative billing approaches” to demonstrate a thorough understanding, as I don’t feel this point obviously follows from the points generally made in the paragraph. They could also have focused a little more on the benefits for clients, rather than what the firm is doing.
• The second point doesn’t clearly relate to clients. It’s all a bit vague/high level, and doesn’t explain what the ‘more-for-less’ dilemma is, nor how it is solved.
• The third point arguably overlaps with the first point, as both link to quality of work. Perhaps this could have been phrased as the firm’s ability to tackle the most complex challenges, or something to that effect.
• The applicant could potentially have focused more on the firm’s network (various regional offices for UK clients, as well as international offices), it’s values (linking to corporate social responsibility), its investment in legal tech (which can make legal services more efficient, and therefore cheaper), and so on.