35 Years of Leadership: Neil Sheehy - WLG President 2017–2019

Neil Sheehy Goodmans LLP Ontario - Canada WLG President 2017–2109

1. How did you first get involved with WLG, and what led you to take on a leadership position?
As a young lawyer at Goodmans, I had always believed that having an international presence would be important for a successful corporate practice, involvement with WLG was an obvious priority for me, particularly as Goodmans was not pursuing any merger or expansion plans as part of its long-term business strategy.

In terms of taking on a leadership position, like most things in life, WLG was and still is an organization in which the more you put in, the more you get out. Therefore I was active in looking for ways to get to know people and participate in whatever WLG had to offer; over that time, such participation naturally led to leadership positions.

2. What was your most meaningful accomplishment during your time as president?
At one time, there was a hesitation among some to expand contact or interaction between firm members and other non-Key Contact Partner members of firms. During my time as president, I was happy to see that attitude shift in general terms to one that was more inclusive, that manifest itself in a number of ways outside of mere semi-annual conference attendance including; the growth of practice groups in number and participation, regional conferences for younger members of firms, and the addition of marketing professionals and administrative support personnel within firms to assist in firm integration into the network.

I was also pleased to see WLG ranked as a Band 1 "Elite" Leading Law Firm Network by the Chambers and Partners.

3. While serving on the Board and Membership Committee, what more did you learn about WLG and its value to members?
I saw firsthand the benefits of WLG, and all of the effort and commitment that goes on behind the scenes to make WLG work so well, including through the hard work and dedication of the professional staff. It became very apparent that WLG was not just a loose association of a bunch of firms, but was in fact a very efficiently run organization with key values and strategies, committed to service and excellence.

4. What is your advice to lawyers who want to get more involved or take on a leadership position in the WLG network?

Start by getting involved and participating, and do not sit by on the sidelines and be a passive bystander. Get involved, volunteer to participate in or lead a panel discussion or program, and be an active advocate of WLG within your firm. Be proactive to WLG needs, and do not merely react.

5. As we reflect upon our growth during our 35th anniversary, tell us about the changes you've seen in the network during the years you have been involved and what leads you to believe our best days are ahead of us.

WLG has demonstrated that it is able to evolve and pivot as required, in large part due to the leadership of the full-time professional staff that manages to continuously adapt to changing circumstances and challenges facing the global legal market. WLG started as a meeting between a handful of firms to become a sophisticated organization of over 60 top-tier firms around the world. WLG is more than a collection of random firms that meet occasionally. It is a cohesive group of colleagues and friends that interact in a number of ways through a variety of ever-changing programs and platforms; WLG is ready for what the future holds.