Welcome to the Jomati web site

The irrelevance of independence
Richard Tromans and Tony Williams
January 2012

A decade ago, the battle lines were clear – European independent law firms were in a life-and-death fight with Anglo-Saxon global predators. But today the old sterotypes should be consigned to history as globalisation is the future.

Download the full article.

Opinion: Germany or bust
Richard Tromans and Christoph Vaagt
January 2012

With continuing headlines about low growth and the financial crisis in Europe it would be easy to believe that US and UK law firms have little interest in the Continent, but this would be a long way from the truth. The EU remains the world’s largest economy and firms keep on launching offices there.

Download the full article.

The Times Law -
Why the time is right for investors to move into criminal legal aid
Richard Tromans and Tony Williams
September 29 2011

There is much noise and fury about the Ministry of Justice reforms to the criminal defence service. But the lasting impact will go far beyond a one-off cut in the income of lawyers who do criminal legal aid work.

Download the full article.

BLG faces merger redundancies
By Caroline Binham
August 2, 2011

“Some 15 per cent of partners at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert are expected to leave the London law firm ahead of its merger with Clyde & Co.
The tie-up, approved by both parties’ partnerships late last week, will create a new entity with a turnover of more than £300m ($490m), specialising in advising clients in the insurance sector. The move should be completed by November...”

Download the full article.

Allen & Overy leads lawyers’ scramble for Africa
By Caroline Binham
July 20, 2011

“Allen & Overy has become the first of Britain’s so-called “magic circle” law firms to open an office in Africa after launching in Morocco.
The London-based firm has pipped to the post its rival, Clifford Chance, in establishing a presence in the north African country after hiring two lawyers from the Casablancan office of French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel...”

Download the full article.

Magic circle UK law firms go east
By Caroline Binham
July 8, 2011

“There was a time in the not-too-distant past when law firms were posting profit rises of more than 30 per cent year after year. That would make this year’s results – where the highest growth in profit among the four magic circle firms was 10 per cent at Clifford Chance – look lacklustre...”

Download the full article.

Beyond the magic circle
By Caroline Binham
June 29, 2011

“Law firms are pursuing a dual-track strategy of expansion: building their presence in traditional markets such as London and New York but also looking to new markets as clients demand, such as China, Canada, Australia and even Iraq...”

Download the full article.

Jomati hires ex-Links global business boss
April 2010

Former Linklaters global business manager Jenny Jones has joined Jomati Consultants, the legal consultancy fronted by former Clifford Chance managing partner Tony Williams.

Jones worked for seven years at the magic circle firm, where she gained extensive experience in pricing strategies as well as other economic issues with an impact on law firms.

She has also worked as an independent consultant, advising international and domestic firms. The latest hire follows the arrival of head of research Richard Tromans in October 2009.

Download the full article.

Creating growth: innovation in law firms as the springboard for recovery
September 2009

Click here to listen to Tony Williams speaking at the 'Legal Breakfast' Law Society discussion.
(Not available as a PDF download*)

Jomati joins the first global legal consultancy alliance
April 2009

“Global law firms and law departments need management advice from a global
perspective,” said Jomati founder and principal, Tony Williams. “Since 2005, Altman
Weil and Jomati have been allied to serve the US, UK and European markets. This new
alliance extends our ability to serve clients effectively.”

Download the full Altman Weil Global Press Release.

Bloomberg News
Radio Interview with Tony Williams
May 2008

Click here to listen to Tony Williams discussing the UK view on Limited Equity Partners on Bloomberg News.
(Not available as a PDF download*)

Bloomberg News
Radio Interview with Tony Williams
April 2008

Click here to listen to Tony Williams discussing the UK Legal Services Act on Bloomberg News.
(Not available as a PDF download*)

Top 100 Lawyers
April 21 2008

Tony Williams
Legal management consultant

With the legal services market expected to explode over the next decade as restrictions on ownership structures and outside capital are lifted, Tony Williams, the former managing partner at Clifford Chance, is positioned as one of the City’s most sought-after backroom strategists. Williams, 51, set up Jomati Consultants in 2002 to advise law firms on issues such as financing, mergers and risk management.

After graduating from Southampton University, he trained at Turner Garrett & Co in Surrey and joined Coward Chance, as it was, in 1981. A corporate finance specialist, he worked in Hong Kong and Eastern Europe before rising to managing partner in 1997.

He left in 2000 to run the legal practice at Andersen, the consulting firm, and went out on his own once it collapsed after the Enron scandal.

Download the full article.

Jomati teams up with Adam Smith in NY
19th March 2008

Legal management experts Jomati Consultants and Altman Weil have agreed an alliance with Bruce MacEwan, the founder of US legal website Adam Smith Esq.

Jomati and US affiliate Altman Weil have agreed a deal that will see MacEwan act as lead consultant for the group in New York.

Adam Smith was launched by MacEwan – a former in-house securities lawyer at Morgan Stanley – in late 2003. It is widely regarded as a leading commentator on law firm economics in the US.

Commenting on the new alliance, Altman Weil principal Ward Bower said: “[MacEwan] is a true thought-leader on issues of strategic importance to the legal profession and [this agreement] increases the scope and depth of resources we can offer our major law firm clients.”

MacEwan added: “With our strategic alliance we are able to provide our clients with the depth and breadth of service that they need at a time when the international legal marketplace is undergoing a period of major change.”

Jomati was set up in 2002 by Tony Williams (pictured), the former global managing partner of Clifford Chance and ex-chief of Anderson Legal, acting almost exclusively in the legal trade.

It formed the alliance with Altman Weil, which has been advising law firms since the 1970s, in 2005.

Download the full article.

The Lawyer Hall of Fame
December 2007

Tony Williams
Tony Williams was managing partner of Clifford Chance in the second half of the last decade, but he did himself proud with Andersen Legal in the UK from 1999 to 2001. He gave the accountancy-tied firm City credentials, but his real achievement was in a crisis. When Andersen's associated law firm was collapsing after Enron, Williams spent his last remaining months trying to find new homes for his lawyers - all the while with the threat of the Enron litigation over his head and having been abandoned by the Andersen UK management. Williams was one of the few to emerge from the debacle with any credit. Since then he has had a highly influential role behind the scenes as a management consultant to law firms.

Download the full article.

BBC Radio 5 Live
Weekend Business interview
with Jeff Randall
2007

Click here to listen to Tony Williams on Radio 5 Live discussing 'Pressure in the City'.
(Not available as a PDF download*)

Edward Fennell - In the City
July 2006

Birthday presence

SOME of us conceal our 50th birthdays but Tony Williams, former highly successful managing partner of Clifford Chance and subsequently boss of the unfortunate Andersen Legal, was fully entitled to revel in his last week.
At a Hollywood-style celebration at his Hampshire spread, Tony brought together friends and colleagues to commemorate a professional and personal landmark. Ranging from his early mentor Michael Slorick, now senior partner at Mackrell Turner Garrett through to Daniel Gowan and David Hertzell, of Davies Arnold Cooper, Dieter Yih, of Mallesons Hong Kong, David Shasha, of Simmons & Simmons, and many others (including a group of ex-Clifford Chancers) there was a full parade of supporters.
Resilience is among Williams’ greatest assets and is typified by his legal management consultancy Jomati, which expands and flourishes. Williams is also, as they say, “giving something back”. The Jomati Foundation directs at least 5% of the consultancy’s annual fee income towards funding deserving law students with “high academic achievement but low financial means” through their legal training. It’s a great initiative. For more information go to jomati.com/jomatifoundation.html.

Download the full article.

Jomati bolsters US links
03 February 2005

UK management consultancy Jomati moved to strengthen its US expertise this week ahead of an expected surge in transatlantic law firm mergers. The firm has sealed an alliance with US consultants Altman Weil, a matter of days after rival consultancy Hildebrandt International announced it had been acquired by US information giant The Thomson Corporation.

Tony Williams, former Clifford Chance managing partner and Jomati founder, said the alliance with Altman Weil will make the consultancy well placed to advise on forthcoming mergers between UK and US law firms. He said: ‘We saw a few transatlantic mergers last year and it is a trend that looks set to continue. The alliance means we will have a better understanding of firms and the cultural issues in each other’s markets. We will also be more on the radar screen of the US firms.’

Last year Jomati advised US firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart on its tie-up with City firm Nicholson Graham & Jones, while Altman Weil acted for DLA on its merger with US firm Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.

Download the full article.

Jomati and Altman Weil in transatlantic tie-up
31 January 2005

Jomati, the legal management consultancy run by former Clifford Chance and Andersen Legal managing partner Tony Williams (left), has announced a strategic alliance with US consultants Altman Weil. Both Jomati and Altman Weil have recently advised on transatlantic mergers, with Jomati advising on the Kirkpatrick & Lockhart-Nicholson Graham & Jones tie-up and Altman Weil handling the DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary deal.

Download the full article.

Jomati brings in two consultants
Jan 28, 2004

Jomati, the legal consultancy set up by former Andersen Legal head Tony Williams, has hired two senior consultants. The hires are John Angel, visiting professorial fellow at the Institute of Computer and Communications Law at Queen Mary University, and John Holmes, until recently managing partner of Clifford Chance’s (CC’s) Dubai branch. Williams, who was also a former managing partner at CC, said: “Firms need good people to help them manage their strategy and in John Angel and John Holmes, they have two talented and experienced professionals.”

Download the full article.

Life after Andersen
By Bob Sherwood and Nikki Tait
Oct 21, 2002

There is life after Andersen Legal. Tony Williams, the former Andersen Legal worldwide managing partner, and ex-managing partner of Clifford Chance, has announced that he is setting up his own legal management consultancy.
The venture is to be called Jomati, and “aims to provide firms with practical advice on planning, developing, testing and implementing their overall business strategies”. The new consultancy will be London- based, but intends to operate on an international basis.

Download the full article.

Williams branches out into legal consultancy
17 October 2002

Former Andersen Legal worldwide managing partner Tony Williams has formed his own legal consultancy firm called Jomati.

The launch comes after the winding up of the interests of Andersen Legal, which split up this year following the US indictment of its accountancy parent for its part in the collapse of Enron.

The move ends months of speculation that Williams, one of the City’s most prominent lawyers and a former managing partner of Clifford Chance, would take a post at a City firm, or the London office of a major US firm.

McDermott Will & Emery is understood to be one firm Williams had held discussions with.
Williams’ role as head of what was, at the start of the year, the world’s second-largest legal network, made him one of the UK’s most closely watched law firm leaders.

Williams has also been negotiating to regain the equity contributions of partners from Andersen Legal’s UK arm, Garretts, and organising the transfer of Andersen Legal staff.

Jomati will focus on developing and implementing business strategies for law firms and intends to handle mergers, alliances and crisis management.

“There is a clear niche in the market for very practical-based advisers to work with firms to develop strategic plans that are based on reality,” Williams said.

He told Legal Week the idea of setting up a consultancy came to him after a number of law firms asked him to work on special projects for them. Jomati will be run primarily as a solo practice with Williams calling in additional outside advisers on an ad hoc basis when needed.

Download the full article.

I’m back
22 October 2002

Everyone wondered what Tony Williams, the former Andersen Legal worldwide managing partner and partner of Clifford Chance, would do once the dust had settled. Now we know. He is turning his unique experience to good account by setting up a legal management consultancy.
Probably no lawyer alive has experienced such a range of highs and lows, of hiring and letting gos, so he has an enormous palette of skills and insights to draw on. My only reservation is the title of his new agency, which takes the stage under the name Jomati. Ripe for mispronunciation, it is reminiscent of Accenture, the nom-de-guerre for Andersen’s former management consultants. Ex-Andersenians clearly have a penchant for the bizarre in the name game. Maybe it was something they put in their latte.

Download the full article.

Tony Williams goes it alone
21 October 2002

Former Andersen Legal managing partner Tony Williams has re-emerged as an independent law firm consultant. He told The Lawyer: “The intention is to provide advice primarily to law firms, but also to in-house legal departments, on developing and implementing their strategy and operations.” First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 16 October

Download the full article.

Ex-managing partner of Andersen Legal sets up consultancy
20 October 2002

Tony Williams, former worldwide managing partner for Andersen Legal and previously worldwide managing partner for Clifford Chance, has set up his own legal consultancy called Jomati.
The consultancy, based in London, will aim to provide global advice to law firms on developing and implementing business strategies, negotiating mergers and strategic alliances and crisis management.
The new business has already secured engagements with UK and US firms, although a spokesman refused to give further details, citing confidentiality agreements as the reason.
“There is a clear niche in the market for very practical-based advisers to work with firms to develop strategic plans that are based on reality. Firms want to be able to work with advisers who develop with them what to do but can also work alongside them in delivering the how and the when. Too many strategic plans or market ambitions go on to the shelf. Jomati
aims to work with firms to make sure that strategy is a living, breathing focus of the business,” said Williams.
Williams left his position as worldwide managing partner at Clifford Chance to join Andersen Legal after the former merged with Rogers & Wells in the US. He had previously led the Eastern European Group and managed the Moscow office, as well as developing the corporate and regulatory practice in Hong Kong, at the magic circle firm.

Download the full article.