Michael Morrissey on Running Your Own Firm, Encouraging Empathy in Business and the Uncertain Future of Law

Our latest guest on Beyond Billables originally came from a profession that is a bit left-field: sports journalism. Now, Michael Morrissey is managing director at Morrissey Law and Advisory, a law firm that specialises in the construction and infrastructure industries. Michael’s main goals in his firm is to both be accountable (hence why he named the firm after himself) and to make his clients feel valuable. “If I’m not helping people sleep easier at night...then I’m not doing the job I should be doing,” he says. This latest episode is a great listen for anyone interested in starting their own law firm. Give it a listen to gain access to an insider’s views on some of the tougher issues facing entrepreneurial lawyers today. We also discuss:   How the shifting media landscape in Australia led Michael to become an attorney Why Michael doesn’t worry too much about failure What it means to be a “client-centric” firm How to deal with startups and other clients that might not understand the law process The challenging parts of setting up your own firm How to effectively hire junior lawyers Why Michael regularly asks his clients to criticise his firm The importance of emotional intelligence in employees   Links: Morrissey Law and Advisory Michael Morrissey - LinkedIn