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Centurion Plus – A Stroke of Luck amid a Global Economic Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the importance of moving away from traditional law firm set-up to the NewLaw. The Centurion Plus model which is based on the NewLaw has been the perfect response

The year 2020 has undoubtedly been an experience of fair world-shifting events. It has been heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations, events postponements, worldwide lockdowns, and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The pandemic is unprecedented in its worldwide reach and impact, posing formidable challenges to policymakers and to the empirical analysis of its immediate and indirect effects within the interconnected global economy. While companies were and are still enduring challenging situations; where most are struggling to meet ends, the year 2020 has been a major opportunity for the Centurion Law Group, with the successful launch of Centurion Plus Africa and Germany.

The Centurion Plus model      

Major organizations and firms adopted drastic measures to mitigate the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and recession. Some firms have rolled back their pay cuts which have included letting go of valuable company assets such as in-house attorneys. 

The spread of deadly disease forced law firms worldwide and the justice system to rapidly evolve in various ways. The COVID- 19 regulations such as social distancing guidelines necessitated that an industry known for being slow to embrace technology quickly shift to remote working and using technological tools to work effectively. Courts were also not spared from this and they furiously worked to implement videoconferencing and other electronic solutions to keep providing forums for litigants to resolve disputes amid courthouse closures and the suspension of court appearances and trials. The legal profession endeavored to comply with the various pandemic-related requirements while encountering the beginning of what is likely to be a prolonged severe global economic crisis which has forced changes in the way the world (including the world of business) works to such a degree that the effects are sure to extend far beyond the current situation.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the importance of moving away from traditional law firm set-up to the NewLaw. The Centurion Plus model which is based on the NewLaw has been the perfect response to the new changes and demands for corporate legal counsel, having a surprisingly good success adequately in Africa and in Europe (Germany);

  • The client’s perspective

Traditionally, clients are spotted mainly through networking, individual reputation and personal relationships. The work is carried out through a specific hierarchy – from junior associates to partners, the client paying per the time taken to complete the whole work. With the new Centurion Model, the NewLaw approach, this method has been changed; clients are spotted through effective marketing and business development campaigns. Their projects are undertaken by professionals with the relevant expertise in the relevant fields. Clients are now billed on a periodic basis (monthly or semi/monthly) for service; the client is no longer billed per hours for an undefined amount of time but will pay exclusively for the time worked; No over-heads. In times of hardship, client now have a full legal and business support with the best resources and talent for their projects.

  • On-demand Lawyers’ perspective

Lawyers from across the world are also suffering from the economic crisis ranging on. While some are being fired as companies cannot afford to keep them, others remain without job offers as services fees are too high. This is where Centurion Plus comes as a blessing to the labour force market as well; The new model proposed has been focusing on either long term or short- term collaborations, as well as sporicidal collaborations over the years. During the past year, since our launch, we have pushed forward our collaborations with lawyers in different areas of expertise from different locations on the globe. By doing so, we have been creating job opportunities for them; while they apply their skills for Centurion Plus, they in turn get to work, from any location, on big or small projects while earning a constant salary. As such, lawyers can continue working from home without having to stay long hours in the office even in the event that the firm is staffed by non-partners or partner-track associates, work can be done in a separate service center and not a firm office, or a self-service model.

  • Centurion Plus – a firm working for you globally.

What makes the Centurion Plus Model different is that our services are retained at the insistence of our client. Moreover, Centurion being a multiple jurisdictions firm, clients have the exclusive advantage to work on projects that extends to the international level.  We have worked with several multi-nationals and helped them extend their business in other jurisdictions and countries. Clients looking for a service provider being capable to cater for projects, whether a start-up, a business extension, financial services support, etc. can rest assured to find professionals with relevant in-depth industry knowledge to cater for needs, an approach that is unique to Centurion Plus.

Centurion Plus Africa Launch

As of May 2020, Centurion Plus Africa pool consists of over 100+ confirmed on demand lawyers in Africa, representing all 55 countries in Africa. Our offer is simple. Centurion Plus has the African lawyers and advisors your company needs, ready to deploy whenever and wherever you need them. When a project demands that you scale up your team fast, our team is at your disposal.

 Our African clients include:

AFRICA-FOCUSED COMPANIES EXPANDING INTO NEW TERRITORIES OR UPSCALING LOCAL OFFICES

Centurion Plus provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for big businesses that need to upscale quickly, take on a new project, or expand into a new territory to use our adaptable attorneys and consultants. With trading having commenced under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Centurion Plus provides clients with advice and services to take full advantage of the business opportunities offered by the free-trade zone. They also have the assurance that Centurion Law Group’s head office in Johannesburg provides quality control and access to Africa’s leading law firm’s knowledge base.

INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRMS EXPANDING IN AFRICA OR TAKING ON NEW PROJECTS

Centurion Plus provides global companies with the skills, individuals, and expertise to take on unique projects in a wide range of practice areas at unrivaled speed and with complete trust anywhere in Africa, thanks to the combined power of independent, European and North American trained independent lawyers and consultants and the local networks of Centurion Law Group.

COMPANIES THAT NEED A LEGAL TEAM OR ADVISOR AT SHORT NOTICE AND ON LOCATION

When your company finds an opportunity, you must be able to quickly expand your skills and team. Centurion Plus offers attorneys and experts on a project basis to your company. Upscaling or downscaling a project team on short notice necessitates the development of a new model. Centurion Plus is the intersection of agility and regulatory and project excellence.

Centurion Plus Germany Launch

Centurion Plus Germany supports NewLaw legal services that use cutting-edge, client-focused delivery technologies. This model is now available in Europe through Centurion Plus. Our pool of carefully vetted on-demand attorneys is available to manage and regulate your projects on short notice, supplement or replace your in-house counsel, and provide project-specific expertise to your team. We will help you build a customized team from our pool of industry-specific, specialized and skilled lawyers and business advisors.

 New Objectives and Goals

The Centurion Law Group, through Centurion Plus, has embraced NewLaw in its innovative and client-focused methods of delivering legal services to its clients.  The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the necessity of rethinking tactics to better react to customers’ needs and major economic crises.

It is now our responsibility to spread this benefit to companies and people all over the world. While our success in Africa and now Germany cannot be doubted, there is still much work to be done with a new set of goals for the new year of 2021. Our team will continue to thrive if we maintain the same level of commitment, motivation and client-delivery. Our goal is to continue raising awareness in the European and African continents about the availability of flexible legal services and the “NewLaw” model. 

Feel free to reach out to our Directors, Keseena Chengadu at Keseena.chengadu@centurionlg.com and Leon Van Der Merwe at leon.vdmerwe@centurionlg.com, for any inquires on how this tailored legal solution offering can benefit your organisation”. Alternatively, we invite you to visit our website centurionlgplus.com for more information.