How Ashurst's risk advisory arm is driving the firm's growth
Ashurst partner and regional head for Australia, Lea Constantine, explains the firm’s expansion of its Risk Advisory service — and why it’s here to stay.
Ashurst’s expanded risk advisory service marks the latest evolution in law firms positioning themselves as one-stop shops for clients. In 2015, accounting firms surged into the legal services space — but now, the pendulum has swung back.
Speaking to Capital Brief for The Firm, Ashurst partner and regional head for Australia Lea Constantine said the firm's expanded risk advisory service is permanent, because it's not just a bolt-on service. While previous legal forays into consulting have faltered, this time is different, she said.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Is Ashurst’s expansion of its advisory arm, Ashurst Risk Advisory, part of a cyclical swing between the services offered by consultancies and law firms, or something more permanent?
Many years ago, there were law firms that decided they wanted to have consulting arms and got consultants out of the consultancy firms and put them into law firms. At the same time, there were consulting firms that also decided they wanted to be law firms that put lawyers into their consulting firms. Those two things failed.
