Award-winning law firm Keypoint Law is celebrating five years since it launched in Australia, pioneering a new business model that has redefined how a modern law firm operates.
Since opening its doors in Sydney in 2014, the firm has grown to 40 partner-level lawyers drawn from some of Australia’s top law firms, supported by a team of legal, operational, finance and marketing professionals.
The firm’s national footprint has grown too, with the firm now operating from offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, complemented by an international presence in England, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man through UK sister firm Keystone Law.
Commenting on the firm’s journey so far, Keypoint Law CEO Warren Kalinko said:
“We launched in Australia with a completely new business model, no existing client base or brand recognition, and ambition to drive transformation in the legal industry.”
“In just five years, we’ve established a team of exceptional senior lawyers, partnered with market-leading clients and are recognised as one of the fastest-growing and most innovative firms in the country.”
He continued:
“By maintaining a steady focus on quality and giving clients access to a personable and value-driven service, we’ve steadily increased our market share and have emerged as a strong competitor to traditional law firms for both client acquisition and partner recruitment.”
Today, Keypoint’s clients include ASX-listed companies, SMEs and privately‑owned companies, high-net-wealth individuals and start-ups – strengthened with the firm’s recent appointment to the Australian Government’s legal services panel.
Consulting Principal Shana Schreier-Joffe was one of the first lawyers to sign on with Keypoint. She admitted she took a calculated risk in 2014 when joining a start-up law firm, saying:
“Once I dived in, I knew I had made the right choice. I’ve always considered myself to have an entrepreneurial spirit, so the opportunity to be part of the shake-up of legal services and to have the ability to design my practice to match the needs of our clients has been incredible.”
“I love that I have had the freedom to balance my passion for law with my drive to develop innovative business solutions. Earlier this year I launched a cloud-based business management platform, Flourish Employment Solutions, to empower our clients to streamline the way they work. It’s been exhilarating to discover that law doesn’t need to be done the way it has always been done.”
Consulting Principal Mark Addison joined the firm in 2018. He said that Keypoint offered the opportunity to break free from traditional conventions which hold many lawyers back:
“I now run a solid commercial practice with all of the support I require, without the politics and artificial budget pressures of a traditional law firm. At Keypoint, I get to focus on doing what I am good at, on my terms.”
A highlight for the firm has been the continuous recognition it has received within the legal industry. Within a couple of years of launching, Keypoint’s innovative business model and fresh approach to client service saw it recognised alongside Australia’s long-standing establishment law firms, signifying a strong appetite for a new way of working.
Most recently, the firm was named a winner in Australasian Lawyers’ Innovative Firms list, won Medium Law Firm of the Year in the 2019 Victorian Legal Awards, was listed in Best Lawyers in Australia across 16 practice areas and was recognised by the Australian Financial Review as a top‑five firm for partner-level growth in the country.
Turning to the future, Kalinko said that Keypoint’s growth would continue to be driven by a people-centric approach.
“The challenges facing the legal profession are well known: high levels of depression, long hours, attrition of women from the law, and the discarding of older lawyers.”
“Keypoint shows these issues can be addressed by a law firm model that ‘rehumanises’ the practise of law, and prioritises people over budgets, office politics, timesheets and bureaucracy.”
“Our lawyers say that by making a move to Keypoint, they’ve been given the freedom to build closer client relationships, re-focus on their career aspirations and achieve meaningful work/life balance.”
“At the end of the day, what we are offering lawyers is the power of choice.”
With a large team of partner-level lawyers spanning 16 practice areas and on-going strong growth, Keypoint has evolved from ‘disruptive start-up’ to a compelling alternative to traditional firms for both clients as well as partners.
Reflecting a maturing NewLaw industry more generally, Keypoint Law is now a sought-after option for partners who previously may not have looked outside the upper tiers.