As a team of lawyers who worked in senior roles in both the private and government sectors, as well as in-house, it became apparent that lawyers managing litigation and major transactions were facing a range of challenges:

  • Lack of clear communication regarding outcomes sought by the client before lawyers commence working on the project

  • No clear appreciation of the relevant project stakeholders - including decision makers and influencers

  • Lack of clarity regarding the best team to undertake the work and how it could be delivered cost-effectively for the client

  • Fee arrangements based on billable hours

  • Lack of fee transparency and accountability for budgets set at the outset of the project

  • Irregular project updates


Legal process rather than the client’s desired outcomes was the main focus. This led not only to indifferent results for clients but also to major cost blow-outs.

We have developed our own methodology for legal project management that is specifically designed to secure desired outcomes. Many of our clients have found that using Allygroup’s legal project management methodology has reduced their costs by 25% or more. Allygroup’s legal project management methodology is designed specifically for large-scale litigation and major transactions.

We can provide you with a skilled, commercially focused legal project manager able to manage the relationships between the key stakeholders so that their objectives and expectations are met on time, within budget and to the highest possible standard.

Very proactive, working knowledge helps with proactive approach. Jo is adaptive and very knowledgeable.
— Executive Director at large government department
The best legal project manager I have ever worked with.
— former Head of Enforcement at Australian Regulator

Our Legal Project Management (LPM) methodology is unique because it is centred around the relationship between the lawyer and the client, rather than on the process itself. Other forms of legal project management tend to apply the basic principles of project management to litigation or major transactions, with little understanding of the legal industry.

Allygroup’s LPM methodology was developed by Joanne Rees. Joanne’s extremely broad experience (both in private practice and in-house) led her to develop a methodology that is highly analytical, rather than being purely process based. This means that it is specifically designed to achieve the best outcomes in both large-scale litigation and major transactions.

Allygroup’s legal project managers use this methodology, which is based on the following principles:

  • Developing the mindsight (i.e. creating the strategy to run the large-scale litigation or major transaction).
  • Building the skillset (i.e. creating the procedural framework through which the litigation or major transaction will be coordinated).
  • Setting up the tools/templates (i.e. setting up the processes and procedures through which each individual task will be organised).
  • Assigning responsibility for undertaking the individual tasks.

Our approach to LPM ensures that you:

  • Deliver the highest-quality legal advice and services
  • Ensure that all stakeholders are engaged
  • Keep your costs down
  • Resource matters and transactions efficiently
  • Achieve budget predictability
  • Provide value for fees.

+ Allygroup’s framework

Our framework has five stages:

Stage 1: Defining scope and strategy, which involves outlining the scope of the project and listing the milestone stages.

Stage 2: Leveraging resources, which involves putting together the most cost-effective and appropriately resourced team (including exploring legal professional outsourcing).

Stage 3: Forecasting the budget, which involves preparing and agreeing to a project budget.

Stage 4: Monitoring the project, which involves preparing regular status reports to ensure the project is delivered on time and on budget.

Stage 5: Identifying the lessons learned, which involves undertaking a post-project review. This includes measuring the outcomes against the scope, time frame and budget. The lessons learned can then be applied to future projects.

At Allygroup, we offer LPM training for businesses, government agencies and law firms.

Our introductory workshops and courses have been designed by lawyers specifically for large-scale litigation and major transactions. They are intended to equip legal practitioners with the tools needed to manage litigation and transactions so that they achieve the desired outcomes cost-effectively.

LPM training is vital for practitioners. The market has changed. Clients today have higher expectations and are more discerning when purchasing legal services. Law firms are no longer calling the shots.

If you work in a law firm or a government agency, you are expected not only to be a highly skilled legal technician but also to understand the principles of legal project management. If you work in-house, you are expected to manage your external legal service providers so that they achieve the desired outcomes cost-effectively.

Unfortunately, these management skills are not taught in law school. Yet, they are vital for your career, because they are now part of the job description of any lawyer.

Using our unique LPM methodology, we can train you to:

  • Define the objectives of a project
  • Determine the risks associated with the project
  • Develop a strategy to meet those objectives and minimise the risks
  • Manage stakeholder expectations
  • Manage costs
  • Allocate resources appropriately

You will learn how to achieve greater certainty in the following areas:

  • Costs
  • Time frames
  • Outcomes

In addition, you will learn how to run a matter in a way that achieves a greater chance of alternative dispute resolution.

Our half-day training workshops are designed to introduce small groups to the basic methodology behind legal practice management. The workshop includes practical exercises based around scoping a specific matter that is tailored to your business, organisation or firm. Alternatively, we can use an internal project identified by you.

Training materials and templates are provided for attendees to keep. We can also provide you with more advanced training and ongoing support if required.