The traditional narrative of resource management has often focused on productivity and utilisation. Of course, this remains vital. It is, after all, an hours business. However, as panellist Dipa Patel from RPC highlighted, effective resource management isn't about simply squeezing more out of people. Sustainable, holistic resourcing is about balancing work allocation with career development and long-term wellbeing.
Womble Bond Dickinson and Taylor Wessing started their resource management journeys from different entry points. For one, it was about financial efficiency. For another, it was initially about improving diversity and inclusion. What united them was the discovery that structured resource management delivers wide-reaching benefits: better profitability, more equitable work distribution, stronger retention and more resilient, sustainable performance.
Sarah Felger, Chief Strategy Officer at Womble Bond Dickinson, described this approach as building “healthy high performance”. Yes, the aim is to raise utilisation, but not at the expense of wellbeing. By levelling out utilisation curves, one team has seen a 50% drop in attrition and the firm has achieved a 10% increase in utilisation (in areas where resource management has been implemented) since starting their resource management journey. It’s proof that a more consistent workload and fair access to opportunities helps people thrive and stay.
Wendy Tomlinson, Chief People Officer at Taylor Wessing, shared how the firm moved from a utilisation curve distributed between 38% - 140% to one showing rates between 70% - 100%. She also emphasised the impact this shift had on inclusion. Without a structured approach, partners may default to assigning work to familiar faces, unintentionally reinforcing bias. With data-led resource management, work can be allocated more fairly, giving all associates access to meaningful opportunities and helping firms deliver on their inclusion goals.
However, the shift toward healthy high performance demands more than good intentions. Hybrid working, shifting client demands, and market volatility all require a more agile approach to legal resource management. That includes making the best use of internal talent, spotting when external hires are needed, and even informing pricing and profitability decisions.
Technology plays a vital enabling role. While resource management can begin with a spreadsheet and goodwill, it can’t scale that way. Dedicated resource management tools allow firms to move from instinctive, anecdotal allocation to evidence-based, bias-resistant decision-making.
Skills matrices, availability tracking, and utilisation dashboards provide a richer view of both individual capacity and firm-wide capability. That unlocks everything from fairer work distribution to better succession planning, and delivering matters efficiently and profitably with the right people in the right roles at the right time.
Ultimately, this technology gives resource managers time to focus on the “human” side of the job - building trust with lawyers, having career development conversations, and aligning people to work that helps them grow. For firm leadership, it opens the door to a level of operational visibility that is essential in today’s market.
No matter the size or stage of your firm, there are steps you can take today. As our panellists stressed, you don’t need to start with a full-scale transformation. Begin with a pilot. Find your internal champions - often a partner or senior leader who sees the problem, recognises there’s a better way, and even wants to contribute a legacy of innovation at their firm.
Gather your baseline data. Test, iterate and build credibility. The firms we heard from didn’t wait for a perfect moment. They started with a clear pain point - whether people, profit, or inclusion - and built momentum from there.
The legal industry is at a tipping point. Clients are demanding more transparency and efficiency. Lawyers are seeking purposeful, balanced careers. Firms must navigate economic uncertainty with agility. Resource management, when done well, sits at the intersection of all these demands. It’s no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity.
The insights from our conference panel scratch the surface of a much larger conversation…
BigHand’s upcoming benchmark report, "Navigating The Million Dollar Problem: Resource Management for Profitability, Client and Talent Retention," features insights from 800+ law firm leaders across the US and UK. The report reveals the hidden costs of bias-led resourcing, why salary bumps aren't fixing retention, the risks of poor succession planning, and how inefficient utilisation is threatening profitability.
Get first access to this essential research when it launches on Wednesday, August 20th. Register now to receive the full report in your inbox and discover how your firm can turn resource management challenges into competitive advantages.
BigHand Resource Management is a legal work allocation tool that allows law firms to identify resources, forecast utilisation, manage workloads and add structure to career development for lawyers. The solution delivers real-time visibility of team availability, improved profitability on matters and supports DEI goals and equitable allocation of work.
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