Welcome to D’Chimes Consulting
D’Chimes Consulting provides comprehensive management solutions for law firms.
We work strategically with firms of all sizes to develop and implement sustainable practices that reduce costs while increasing efficiency. Drawing on our extensive industry expertise, our legal management consulting has helped numerous firms overcome both internal and external challenges.
We specialise in Legal Aid Agency Tenders, SRA Applications, Lexcel Accreditation Preparation & Anti-Money Laundering
About Us
D’Chimes Consulting is a UK management consulting firm based in Sompting, West Sussex. Our small team of highly experienced consultants brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record working with organisations of all sizes.
What sets D’Chimes Consulting apart is our experience-based expertise. Our consultants have years of senior management experience in law firms, giving us extensive knowledge of today’s legal industry.
We partner with organisations across the UK to deliver sustained value growth through strategy development, operations optimization, risk management, organisational transformation, and leadership development. Our deep industry knowledge helps clients anticipate change, improve operations, and enhance performance to maintain their competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Key Services
We guide law firms and legal aid providers through critical regulatory compliance and operational excellence, specializing in SRA applications, legal aid tenders, quality marks including Lexcel/SQM and anti-money laundering. Our comprehensive practice management solutions help small and mid-sized firms establish robust risk frameworks while optimizing staff performance. Below are our full-service portfolio:
Strategic Development and Operations
- Align business strategy with daily operations
- Prepare for Lexcel/SQM accreditation and audits, including office manual and compliance documentation review
- Develop marketing strategies to enhance competitiveness in dynamic markets
- Create and implement network mapping and strategic development plans
- Position your firm as an industry leader through targeted communications
Regulatory and Compliance
- SRA Applications
- LAA Civil & Crime Tenders
- Lexcel Audit Preparation
- Anti-Money Laundering
- Legal 500 Applications
- File Management Compliance
- Risk Management
- GDPR Staff Training
Operations and Management
- Management Structure Development
- Recruitment and HR Support
- Strategic Partnership Development
- Business and Marketing Strategy
- Project Management
- Acquisitions & Novation
Organizational Development
- Culture Change Management
- Innovation and Creativity Programs
- Performance Management Systems
- Comprehensive Firm Roadmapping
Specialist Services
Legal Aid Agency Tenders
We guide firms through the Civil Legal Aid Contract tender process, providing comprehensive support from start to finish.
Our service includes:
- Clarifying tender terms from the Information for Applicants
- Supporting ITT and PQQ completion
- Ensuring accurate tender submission
- Training staff on the LAA’s tendering and messaging portal
- Guiding firms through the verification stage
SRA Applications
We have extensive experience with SRA approvals, successfully managing applications for both individuals and firms, including FA1, FA2, FA3, FA10/10b etc., and other regulatory requirements.
Lexcel Accreditation Preparation
Lexcel accreditation demonstrates to insurers and clients that your practice operates to the highest industry standards. Our support extends beyond certification – we transform your firm into a well-managed, successful business that consistently outperforms competitors in:
- Income generation
- Profit margins
- Cash flow management
- Equity building
Our experienced consultants work alongside you at every stage to achieve and maintain these high standards of competency.
Anti-Money Laundering
Protect Your Practice: Why AML Compliance Matters More Than Ever
With the SRA doubling its AML engagements in 2023-24, legal practices face growing pressure to prevent financial crime. Robust controls are now essential across all areas of law to protect clients and reputations.
Stay compliant with streamlined processes, expert guidance, and a proactive approach to safeguarding your firm.
The increase in proactive Anti-Money Laundering (AML) engagements by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), from 273 in the previous reporting year to 545 in the 2023-24 period, underscores the growing importance of AML compliance in the legal sector. Legal practices are now under greater scrutiny to ensure that they are not inadvertently facilitating financial crime.
While certain areas of law—such as corporate law, property, and conveyancing—are naturally more exposed to higher risks of money laundering and financial crime, it is important to note that all areas of legal practice must have robust and effective AML controls in place. Even areas perceived as lower-risk can be exploited for illicit financial activities, which means legal firms must be vigilant across the board.
- Risk Assessment: Identifying areas of practice more vulnerable to money laundering.
- Training: Ensuring that all staff understand the importance of AML procedures and know how to detect and report suspicious activity.
- Customer Due Diligence: Implementing thorough checks on clients and the sources of their funds, with enhanced scrutiny for high-risk clients.
- Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously reviewing and updating procedures, particularly as regulations evolve.
- Reporting: Complying with SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) filing requirements when suspicious activity is identified.
Core Benefits From Our Service Include:
- Streamlined compliance processes designed specifically for your practices
- Reduced risk of regulatory breaches and associated penalties
- Time and resource savings through efficient AML management
- Enhanced protection of firm reputation
- Peace of mind through expert compliance support
Empowering Law Firms
Overcoming Management and Marketing Challenges
Management Support
While each firm is unique, small to medium law firms commonly face these management challenges:
- Implementing effective time recording techniques and policies for both legal aid and private work
- Establishing robust credit control policies
- Measuring individual and firm-wide performance
- Setting realistic and achievable targets
- Developing career path policies for all staff members
- Creating efficient office systems
We bridge the gap between legal practice and practice management for busy firms through efficient systems, policies, and structures that maximize time for client work.
Drawing from years of law firm management experience, we develop and implement practical, customized strategies with your approval to prevent common pitfalls and enhance operations.
Through our comprehensive management structure review, we identify both existing talent and untapped potential within your firm. This assessment reveals core competencies and capabilities, creating a clear pathway to sustainable growth and increased profitability.
We help train your staff on these policies and systems, ensuring they understand their full range of responsibilities. Each employee should clearly understand both their fee targets and non-billable expectations.
Non-billable work includes creating precedents, participating in training, and coordinating with accounts on billing issues. Understanding these responsibilities helps accurately calculate available time for client work and billable hours.
Based on your firm’s specific needs, we can develop and implement comprehensive written policies and systems. This structured approach creates clarity throughout the firm, ensuring all staff members understand policies and expectations, providing a clear framework for their work.
Marketing Assistance
While principals and partners aim to attract higher-quality work, many small to medium law firms operate without written marketing plans. As a result, marketing efforts often become uncoordinated and ad hoc.
Creating or Reviewing Your Firm’s Marketing Plan
This essential task, one of two critical initial priorities, requires a structured approach. We work with key management to determine appropriate objectives and establish firm-wide goals. Then, we develop an executable plan based on these management decisions. To ensure comprehensive buy-in, we provide sample plans and guide you through an inclusive development process.
Staff Engagement and Alignment
Building staff cohesion and strong working relationships requires comprehensive engagement across your firm. We recognize that careful planning of this process is crucial to your firm’s success.
Website Development and Maintenance
Your website should reflect your firm’s unique values and culture while maintaining professional appeal. We help create visually engaging sites that combine aesthetic appeal with functionality, making it easy for potential clients to navigate and make informed decisions.
A well-maintained website is essential for attracting and retaining clients. However, we frequently observe outdated content on law firm websites, which can damage credibility and deter potential clients.
We provide objective, external review and audit services for your website, recommending immediate improvements and developing ongoing maintenance plans to ensure your site remains current and distinctive in the marketplace.
How we work
D’Chimes Consulting works to assist the busy legal practitioner bridge the ‘gap’ in time available to practice law and management. This allows for an effective working environment by reinforcing marketing strategies, establishing good management, systems, policies and structures, whilst freeing up time for practicing law.
With your approval, D’Chimes Consulting will be able to introduce practical and workable strategies customised to your firm. These strategies, formulated from years of law firm marketing and management experience, will prevent avoidable mistakes.
Using our strategies may require the implementation of architectural and environmental changes, for example, re-appraisal of physical locations, changes in organizational structure, rewards and staffing, refinement of the technology infrastructure and assessing the risk in implementing these tasks. Another way to effect good strategic delivery is to create and implement a ‘change management’ plan which addresses those risks and ensures that the firm emerges with a motivated and committed workforce.
The most effective way of dealing with these issues is to have regular planned monthly meetings remotely or on site and focus on two core issues: Management and Compliance.
Implementation Methodology
1. Initial Assessment
- Current state analysis
- Gap identification
- Opportunity prioritization
2. Strategy Development
- Custom solution design
- Implementation roadmap
- Resource allocation planning
3. Implementation Support
- Project management
- Change management
- Progress monitoring
4. Evaluation & Optimization
- Results measurement
- Adjustment recommendations
- Ongoing support planning
Why Choose Us
- Specialized in legal sector management
- Experience with UK law firms
- Proven implementation methodology
- Ongoing support
- Cost-effective solutions for SMEs
Our On-Site Visit Process
We develop a comprehensive roadmap for your firm with your input and approval. The plan adapts as needed – some tasks may require more time, while others can be executed simultaneously. We update the plan monthly following each visit.
We operate with a flexible written agenda that clearly assigns responsibilities and deadlines to create maximum efficiency. This structured approach ensures all stakeholders understand their roles and upcoming work.
Once the plan is agreed upon, we guide its implementation, helping you avoid common pitfalls while serving as both sounding board and coach for issues that arise between monthly visits. Our experience shows that having a third-party accountability partner significantly improves the completion of marketing and management initiatives, even with busy schedules.
By the end of our engagement, your firm will have robust, sustainable systems and an ongoing marketing plan in place, creating a more organized and efficient practice.
Meet the Consultant
Ogo is the firm’s Lead Consultant and the director of the firm. He brings with him over 19 years of legal management experience. He is also a Law Society authorised Lexcel consultant dealing with all levels of legal management and compliance. While not operating as a practising auditor, his completion of SQM Auditor Training ensures he brings rigorous compliance insights to enhance project quality and standards.
Ogo was a senior practice manager & COO in city law firms, where he successfully led various firms in all areas of practice management, compliance and business development. He continues to provide management consultancy services for small and medium-sized law firms.
He was also a business & strategy director for an AR/VR technology company in Finland, taught in open university, and worked for the NHS commissioned health projects involving pioneering sexual health/HIV prevention research reported on two occasions by the BBC 1 News.
Ogo holds an MBA and a master’s degree in Sociology/medical Anthropology, which he acquired from two Universities in Finland. Ogo is a recording artist in his free time.