People first…always

Our Vision

Why ‘People First’?

Great customer experience is a differentiator in the legal market.

To achieve that, we need multi-disciplinary teams with a breadth of skills that go way beyond technical excellence.

“If you don’t understand people, you don’t understand business”

Simon Sinek

By embedding the 5 O Mindset and 12 O Shaped Attributes, we help you to understand people so you can create sustainable value for your customers.

The O Shaped Framework

The 5 Os represent the mindset of an O Shaped Legal Professional

The 12 O Shaped Attributes

Be Adaptable

The suite of skills needed to thrive in new and different environments throughout the legal career

  • Courage

  • Resilience

  • Feedback

  • Continuous Learning

Build Relationships

The suite of skills needed to build long-term connections with a wide range of people

  • Empathy

  • Influencing

  • Communication

  • Collaborate

Creating Value

The suite of skills needed to identify opportunities and find the best legal solution

  • Identify the Opportunities

  • Solve the Problems

  • Synthesise

  • Simplify Complexities

The 12 O Shaped Attributes are the output of interviews with 18 leading General Counsel in the UK.

Leading General Counsel from the above FTSE 350 companies contributed to the development of the 12 O Shaped Attributes (which can be found in the GC Report linked above).

 
I want someone who will come to me with opportunities - a true business partner.
— GC of FTSE 350 Company

A research based approach

O Shaped is grounded in research from leading industry professionals to ensure that it reflects the customer voice.

It is this research which has informed the twelve attributes of ‘The O Shaped Lawyer’ and which provides a clear understanding of the skills that lawyers of the future will need to have.

If we are to meet the challenges of the legal environment of the future, it is absolutely vital that we are able to call upon lawyers who are fully-rounded and can use their technical skills to deliver added value. This means mastering a blend of mindset, knowledge and skills to refocus on not just what we can do, but how we can do it.
— Anna Heaton, Partner at Addleshaw Goddard LLP