Norton Rose Fulbright Builds Chemistry On Way to Setting BP MS 150 Record

© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.

By Dan McClure
Special Contributing Writer to The Texas Lawbook

Participating in the 2014 BP MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin on April 12-13 was a memorable and rewarding experience for Norton Rose Fulbright. The annual charity ride, which benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, attracted 13,000 riders, with the goal of raising $18 million to fight MS. Many Texas law firms and corporations annually form teams of riders to participate in the event. Norton Rose Fulbright decided to enter a cycling team in the BP MS 150 this year for the first time, less than one year after the combination that brought Fulbright & Jaworski LLP into the global law practice of Norton Rose Fulbright. We made the BP MS 150 our primary global charity initiative for 2014, with the goal of raising $250,000 for the charity. But for participants and Norton Rose Fulbright as a whole, it became much more than a fundraising activity. It became a chance for our lawyers from around the world to work together closely, to get to know each other personally, to bond, and to share a common purpose. As the team’s captain, I saw these benefits firsthand.

Our team of 142 riders was the largest first-year team in the ride’s 30-year history and surely one of the most international in composition. Seventy of our riders, including Norton Rose Fulbright Global Chief Executive Peter Martyr, were from outside the United States. Seventy-two riders were from the United States, many from Houston, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio. In all, 24 offices in 11 countries around the world were represented on the team. The riders from outside the United States arrived in Houston two to three days before the ride and stayed at the homes of 37 Houston lawyers. They participated in client and internal meetings before the ride, and attended a team dinner the night before. Despite the jet lag from long flights, they were all in good spirits and ready for the start of the ride at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

In addition to raising money to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis, this ride was a valuable bonding experience for the lawyers. Lawyers who are sharing contacts and coordinating work worldwide had the chance to get to know one another better. We not only rode together, we rested and ate together, spent Saturday night in the team tent in La Grange, and learned more about one another’s backgrounds and families. In short, it was an enjoyable shared experience.

In addition, the ride was an informal, yet very important, part of the ongoing integration process of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, the U.S. member firm, into the global law practice of Norton Rose Fulbright. It included the efforts of more than 100 volunteers – both lawyers and staff members – mainly from our Houston and Austin offices, who participated in the planning and support functions for the ride, as well as many more throughout all our offices globally who contributed their time and money to making the 2014 global charitable initiative of Norton Rose Fulbright such a success. From bake sales and other fundraising events to the publication of Global Kitchen, a cookbook featuring recipes from all the offices, this initiative has easily exceeded our goal of raising $250,000 to battle MS. During the months before the ride, each office around the world held local events to support their riders and raise money. We created an online team blog where videos and photos of training rides, updates, and personal stories were posted for everyone at Norton Rose Fulbright to see. The BP MS 150 turned into a major team-building experience for the entire global legal practice.

The added benefit for Norton Rose Fulbright is that a 177-mile bike ride through Texas has enabled more than 3,800 lawyers around the world and their office staffs to be part of the effort and to understand that they are all members of a worldwide team.

Developing that teamwork culture internally is extremely valuable for any law firm serving clients – large or small – operating in the global economy, because it is exactly what those clients need and expect.

© 2014 The Texas Lawbook. Content of The Texas Lawbook is controlled and protected by specific licensing agreements with our subscribers and under federal copyright laws. Any distribution of this content without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.

If you see any inaccuracy in any article in The Texas Lawbook, please contact us. Our goal is content that is 100% true and accurate. Thank you.