Anton de Bruyn, head of KPMG Legal Services in South Africa, explains the benefits of offering integrated legal solutions to clients in a multi-disciplinary context in an interview with Legal 500

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAIN POINTS THAT DIFFERENTIATE KPMG LEGAL SERVICES FROM YOUR COMPETITIORS?

There is little doubt that the legal services market of the future will look quite different from the traditional law firm model of the past.  We are witnessing a surge in regulatory reform and technological breakthroughs around the world coupled with the vigorous enforcement of laws by different regulators across various industries.  Add to the mix the prevailing economic and political uncertainty which permeates world markets and it is not surprising that clients need something different from their legal advisers.  We live in a world where businesses are constantly judged by the world around them not only in respect of their compliance with laws and regulations but also in respect of whether their conduct is ethically sound.  Any perceived unethical or unlawful behavior is swiftly highlighted through social media and the press, which creates an immediate reputational risk for those who are implicated.

I see the ideal legal adviser of the future as someone who not only has a good grasp of the law but also possesses business acumen and the ability to work seamlessly alongside other disciplines to bring solutions to clients.  It is precisely at this juncture where KPMG Legal Services differentiates itself from other legal service providers.  The KPMG Legal Services business unit has been operating from within a multi-disciplinary environment for more than 25 years.  First and foremost, we are an integrated business unit within KPMG Tax & Legal, which enables us to team up with tax practitioners to bring business focused tax and legal solutions to clients of the firm.  At the same time, we work alongside various specialist business units in KPMG Advisory which enables us to add tech advisory, actuarial, accounting, deal advisory, corporate finance, forensics and corporate governance skills to our legal offerings. 

The KPMG Legal Services business unit is proud to be a member of the KPMG Global Legal Services network of firms which is currently enjoying significant growth in both global revenues and the addition of new member firms and lawyers to the network.  This membership enables us to access and contribute to global legal innovation and in particular the efficient combination of technology tools and legal offerings to bring unique solutions to our clients.

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