Fieldfisher has unveiled a new three-year strategy, prioritising three practice areas and building upon its European network of offices.
The firm, which focuses on seven different sectors and industries, has revealed it intends to prioritise investment in its technology, finance and energy practices.
The three groups are currently led by technology partner Rob Shooter and financial services partner Guy Usher, while Dominic Gurney-Champion and Roger Sargologo jointly lead the energy team.
“We believe we can grow faster in these areas than any of the others,” managing partner Michael Chissick told The Lawyer. “Technology probably won’t come as much as a surprise to many people, but finance is an area we’ve been trying to grow beneath the surface, with the two overlapping in terms of fintech.”
Despite highlighting these three key areas, Chissick said Fieldfisher’s other sectors remained a key focus for the firm, noting the hire of three life sciences patent partners from Rouse at the start of the year.
The second focus of the strategy concerns the growth of its European network of offices, including development in Germany, France and Belgium.
“We’re aiming to be in every commercial capital in Europe over the next three years,” Chissick added.
Away from Europe, growth is further expected in the firm’s Silicon Valley and Shanghai bases, which opened in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Diversity and working environments form the third and final part of Fieldfisher’s global strategy, which lasts until 2019. Last year, the firm hired its first diversity manager with the aim of increasing female leadership.
The strategy is the second to be announced under Michael Chissick’s watch, having been re-elected for a second term as managing partner last year. Previous firmwide strategies concerned growth in revenue and average profit per equity partner (PEP), with Fieldfisher last year revealing PEP growth of 22 per cent to £506,000.
The top of equity also jumped 111 per cent to £1.25m, breaking the £1m barrier for the first time.