Alissa Bell felt "humility, gratitude, and excitement" over being entrusted with the firm’s century-old legacy
On learning that she would be the next chair of McVeagh Fleming, Alissa Bell felt humble, grateful and excited at being the candidate chosen by her fellow partners.
The new leader describes her ascension to the role as an “extra special” honour, and sees being entrusted with the firm’s long-standing legacy as a “tremendous privilege”. She has observed the way her predecessor John Woolley adapted with change and seized opportunities, and she is eager to play her part in bringing McVeagh Fleming into the future.
In this interview, Bell discusses her vision for the firm, its game-changing IT initiatives, and which fictional villain would have enough legal issues to keep her working for the rest of her career.
What made you choose to work with McVeagh Fleming?
McVeagh Fleming gave me a remarkable opportunity to create and lead my own team. At every stage of my journey with them, even before I officially joined the firm, their support and encouragement gave me confidence. They operate a “high trust model,” which engenders a sense of responsibility that motivates everyone to do their best. I also wanted to be aligned with a well-known brand with a reputation for delivering exceptional legal services.
What was your reaction when you learned that you had been elected as incoming chair?
I had a mix of emotions – humility, gratitude, and excitement. Leading any organisation is a huge honour, but being elected by your fellow partners is extra special. As partners, they each own the business, which means it is truly an honour to be entrusted with this responsibility. Since joining the firm, I have been passionate about playing an integral part in shaping its future. With over 100 years of history, being entrusted with continuing its legacy is a tremendous privilege.
As the incoming leader of the firm, what is your vision for McVeagh Fleming?
First and foremost, it is to retain our special culture at McVeagh Fleming, as this is the foundation of who we are as a firm. We are privileged to have an extremely loyal client base backed by a great team, many of whom are long-standing. Having just embarked on our most extensive IT transformation journey since anyone can remember, we are positioning ourselves to be a modern progressive firm that attracts and retains top talent.
Of course, I am committed to leading the firm's growth strategy with a strong emphasis on prioritising our clients and our people at every step.
What initiatives are you most excited about advocating for?
We continually strengthen our "OneFirm" approach across our three offices, enhancing the client and people experience. Our IT transformation project will revolutionise our operations by enabling seamless mobility among our offices, which will be a game changer. With this transformation, our clients will enjoy the advantage of accessing the expertise of the entire firm, irrespective of their preferred office location (in-person or virtually). Simultaneously, our teams will be able to collaborate and access mentoring from across the firm, both within their practice groups and all disciplines. This comprehensive connectivity reinforces our commitment to providing the best possible services to our clients while fostering a supportive and dynamic environment for our people.
How do you plan to work together with the firm’s other leaders to achieve your vision?
McVeagh Fleming has always had a collaborative and inclusive approach to decision-making. We make decisions as a group because the commitment to achieving the vision comes naturally when everyone is on board with the vision. In saying that, it's important to note that many decisions require input from across the firm, not just the senior leadership team. That's why we have dialled up how we communicate our vision across the firm. We pro-actively encourage everyone to share their views on what's important to them and how we can make McVeagh Fleming a great place to work.
What in your opinion has been your predecessor’s most important contribution to the firm, and how you plan to maintain the momentum?
John Woolley was willing to adapt to changes, take opportunities, and "get on with the job". It is easy for firms to get comfortable with how they do things. John has ensured the firm continued to grow and adapt throughout the changes, challenges, and opportunities that arose throughout his tenure. We have a broad and loyal client base and an excellent team, and the key is to not take that for granted but commit to taking on their comments and ideas and be open to changing tack.
What are you hoping to be known for in your tenure as chair?
Having successfully driven our ambitions for meaningful growth without deviating from our core focus of delivering high-quality legal advice and representation in a friendly, efficient, and professional manner and retaining a culture that allows our staff to carry out fulfilling work, be mentored by talented colleagues and progress in their careers while maintaining a work-life balance.
If you had to defend a fictional antagonist/villain in court, who would you pick, and why?
Mr Burns from The Simpsons – he has enough legal issues to keep me working for the rest of my career, he has got the wealth to ensure a decent retainer, my sole competition would be Lionel Hutz and the relocation to Springfield would mean I never age.
