It has been an intense week. When IP Draughts started his firm, the work was simple: draft, negotiate and advise on contracts, particularly those involving IP. There was very little administration, and no people management, as IP Draughts had no employees. Occasionally he would wander down to a stationery shop to buy some pens and paper. He sent out a few invoices each month.
27 years later, the mix of work is very different. Last week he:
- worked on providing additional information to the firm’s PI insurers. Despite a nil-claims record, the insurers seem to require vastly more information than they did 27 years ago.
- progressed two job applications/discussions, including attending an online interview with a candidate.
- supervised/edited the work of five members of staff, and had several catch-up meetings with them.
- stood in for another member of staff who is on study leave.
- reviewed and took instructions on several draft contracts, some of which have to be signed during this month.
- attended separate contract negotiation meetings with representatives of Osborne Clarke, and Veale Wasbrough Vizards.
- advised in writing on the interpretation of an existing contract.
- spoke to someone about a corporate opportunity.
- spoke to a new, volunteer speaker for our annual, one-week course on IP transactions, which is due to run again in November.
- gave two lunchtime training talks on Zoom.
He seems to be sending out about 20 emails each weekday (and approving the sending of many more by his junior colleagues). He deleted 73 emails yesterday (most of which were work-related), and another 24 went automatically into his junk email folder.
He doesn’t claim there is anything unique about any of this – plenty of people are doing the same or more (including his partners). But it is very different to when he started in practice.
Mr Pettifog
Mark Anderson
Paul Maclennan
Stephen Brett
Victor Warner