In the dynamic landscape of the legal industry, Harriss Wagner Consultants and Advisers has been recognised by Australasian Lawyer with a Service Provider Award for 2023. Driven for over two decades by the vision of its founding directors, Amanda Harriss and Robert Wagner, who have established a firm that embodies the principles of integrity, discipline, quality and value. Today, Harriss Wagner maintains its unwavering commitment to these values.

 

The firm’s culture is deeply rooted in the founding principles, creating an environment that fosters innovation, trust and excellence. Amanda and Robert have meticulously built a team of like-minded individuals committed to delivering quality output and value to clients. This cultural alignment has been pivotal in positioning Harriss Wagner as a team of trusted advisers and transformational specialists dedicated to the legal industry. “We have developed the capability to effectively transform the operations of the legal industry into modern, higher-performing businesses,” says Amanda. “We have an agnostic view of technologies and focus on determining the functionalities best suited to our clients, and they value our unbiased approach.”

 

Harriss Wagner is at the forefront of modernising legal practices, with a client footprint spanning Asia-Pacific, North America, and the United Kingdom regions. The firm delivers on its mandate to assist global, top-tier and mid-tier private law firms in achieving operational efficiency and profit margin improvements by blending modern technologies, process automation, business intelligence and change management disciplines.

 

Renowned for her strategic insight, Amanda plays a crucial role in interacting with clients and developing solutions to modernise their practices. Her emphasis on understanding the needs of clients lays the foundation for building authentic relationships, essential for fostering trust in the firm’s ability to deliver on clients’ objectives. Complementing Amanda's strategic focus, Robert brings a wealth of business management skills garnered from his executive leadership background. From strategy and finance to human resource management, marketing and technology, Robert ensures continuous improvement and evolution within the firm. His diverse industry experience, spanning finance, insurance, technology, semi-government and recruitment, has enabled the introduction of practices that drive performance and commitment from the team.

 

Since 2015, Harriss Wagner has been developing digitised solutions that integrate practices between law firms and major banking systems. At the heart of this client-centric approach lies its brand promise, assuring clients value for money and visible benefits. The firm adopts a commercial yet relationship-based approach, where shared risks contribute to developing valued relationships. “This often means both our clients and Harriss Wagner share anticipated and unknown risks throughout our projects; when both parties share the risks, valued relationships develop,” Robert says.

 

The commitment to excellence extends to the recruitment and development of employees. Once part of the team, employees undergo formal and informal training, benefiting from structured competency-based career paths and performance reviews. Innovation is ingrained in its culture and is an ongoing endeavour, as evidenced by the following key metrics and benefits for clients:

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• improved profitability

• revenue growth

• lower operating costs

• more significant market share

• enhanced service delivery

 

As the legal industry continues to evolve with advancements in AI and robotics, Harriss Wagner remains agile, adapting its insights and capabilities to align with technological progress. With a commitment to value, a global perspective and a forward-thinking approach, Harriss Wagner is poised to continue offering clients a path to sustained success in an ever-evolving industry.

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An extract from Australasian Lawyer