Lighting the Spark for 2023

Designed for small law firms and sole practitioners looking to spark new ideas and ignite business transformation in 2023, Smokeball Spark, the premier legal conference, will take place in Sydney on Friday, 17 February. Packed with a standout line-up of inspirational keynotes, thought leaders and industry innovators, the conference gives delegates the chance to absorb the latest learnings and world-class tools to help achieve their business goals.  

After the morning plenary sessions from the keynote speakers, the conference will split into two streams: ‘Daily Efficiency’ which focuses on improving firm operations and daily efficiencies, and the ‘Firm Development’ stream, aimed at helping attendees develop long-term strategies for business transformation and growth. With two concurrent streams, delegates can mix and match sessions to curate a conference experience tailored to their specific needs, as well as leverage the opportunity to connect with a wide range of legal technology partners who will be exhibiting on the day.

Following the conference, delegates can extend their networking with the speakers and fellow attendees at Ignite Social, an immersive, themed event experience with live music performances, activations, and complimentary food and beverage service.  

“I know 2023 is going to be the year where small law dominates the news and dictates the trends in the legal industry,” says Karen Finch, President of ALTA, CEO of Legally Yours, and one of the conference’s session leaders. “Sole practitioners and micro/boutique law firms are leading the way in true legal innovation and adoption of legal technology, and being part of Smokeball’s premier small law conference, Spark, is an incredible way to kick off this year,” Karen notes.

Talya Faigenbaum, Family Law Team Leader, Nest Legal, explains that innovation for small law does not have to mean an expensive investment or a giant change. “Innovation is not about invention, it’s about impact,” says Talya. “For small legal teams, this means celebrating simplicity, enhancing usability, and shifting perspectives. Think: small scale, big impact.”

Top of mind for most, if not all, small law practitioners is the recruitment, retention, and development of talent. Terri Mottershead the Executive Director at the Centre for Legal Innovation will run a session on how to be successful in this ultra-competitive area. Terri says: “Legal practice has transformed. Advances in AI have us questioning what work we need to do, and tech is providing the tools to do it better, cheaper, and faster for our clients. Small law firms are well placed to get the human meets digital equation right but, they need very different capabilities to do it - that’s what we’ll explore at Spark, and I can’t wait!”

Paul Hugh-Jones, Partner, Beaton Research & Consulting who will speak to designing a seamless client experience adds: “The topic of ‘client experience’ or ‘CX’ increasingly appears on the strategic agendas of law firms. Many are wondering if this is simply the latest buzzword or have trouble articulating what CX looks like in practice. However, Beaton’s data shows that superior CX increases client loyalty, referrals, profitability, and staff engagement. At this Smokeball session, I will share Beaton’s Legal CX data and draw on my experience from consulting with firms on CX to share insights, challenges, and actionable examples to build your CX strategy.”

Keynote speakers are Sam Bloom, world para surfing champion and inspiration for the movie Penguin Bloom and author and global content curator Holly Ransom.  Session speakers include:

Firm Development

• Talya Faigenbaum, Family Law Team Leader, Nest Legal, and Former Research Fellow, Centre for Legal Innovation: Why Innovation Should be a Part of Your Firm’s DNA
• Terri Mottershead, Executive Director, Centre for Legal Innovation: The Keys to Success in Today’s War for Legal Talent
• Amanda Little, Principal Solicitor, Amanda Little & Associates: Implementing a Roadmap for Growth
• Karen Finch, President of ALTA, and CEO of Legally Yours; Fiona Kirkman, Founder & CEO, FamilyProperty; John Ahern, Global Head of Property, InfoTrack; and Tom Dreyfus, CEO & Co-Founder, Josef will speak on a panel about technological innovation and disruption to legal practice  

Daily Efficiency

• Clayton Oates, Founder QA Business: Building a Financially Thriving Practice
• Paul Hugh-Jones, Partner, Beaton Research & Consulting: Designing a Seamless Client Experience
• Clarissa Rayward, Founder, Happy Lawyer Happy Life: The 6 Superpowers of a High-Performing, Happy Lawyer
• Hunter Steele, CEO, Smokeball: Automate Your Practice

The conference will be held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Friday 17 February 2023 from 8 am – 5 pm, with Ignite Social taking place from 5.45 – 7.45 pm at the Garden Courtyard Terrace and Restaurant, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.  

Tickets are priced at $249.99 per ticket and delegates can gain up to five CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points from the event.

Click here to book your Smokeball Spark tickets.

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