Tony Griffiths is London office administrative partner at K&L Gates. He was managing partner at Nicholson Graham & Jones until 2005, when the City firm merged with Pittsburgh giant Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, with Griffiths taking a seat on the combined firm's management committee.
Were you always destined for management or was it thrust upon you?
I had been a tutor on a leadership and management course for some time but that did not mean that I was destined to take over from Michael Johns as managing partner of what was then Nicholson Graham & Jones. It was really a combination of the job being thrust upon me when everyone else who could have taken on the responsibility took one step back.
How would you define your management philosophy (in 20 words or less)?
Afford people as much latitude as the economic and institutional necessities of continuing to build a great law firm allow.
What is the most difficult aspect of your job? And the most rewarding?
'Dealing with people' and 'dealing with people'.
How do you get to know junior lawyers/trainees in a firm with so many fee earners?
Regular meetings with question-and-answer sessions, which probably means that they know me better than I know them, but every relationship has to start somewhere.
How do you sell your firm to potential recruits?
By stressing a combination of international opportunities, a track record of delivering on those opportunities and a sensitivity to what works in the London market.
What has been your most embarrassing/cringe-worthy management moment?
Probably my first partner presentation, but I have blocked the memory.
Who is your management guru or idol?
Peter Drucker, economist and author, and [Kirkpatrick chairman] Peter Kalis, of course!
What achievement are you most proud of as a law firm leader?
The integration of Nicholson Graham & Jones and Kirkpatrick & Lockhart as one firm. Achieved through team effort, tolerance, good humour and a fundamental belief in the goal of creating a single firm rather than a franchise.
Have you read Sun Tzu’s The Art Of War?
Yes, and Machiavelli's The Prince - and the latter was a much more interesting read.
How will you know when it is time to call it a day?
It will happen in a couple of years' time when my wife and clients both tell me "enough is enough"!
Complete this sentence: The historical figure I most relate to is…
I am not sure about "relate to" but, in terms of admiration, for a leader, it has to be Abraham Lincoln. A unique combination of courage in the face of adversity, complete dedication to what he believed to be right, tempered by an underlying bedrock of humanity.