Partnership, Progress, and Performance: the 2024 Lighthouse Journey
At Lighthouse, we believe that true partnership means going beyond the expected. In 2024, we set out to challenge ourselves and redefine how we connect with our clients, aiming to create deeper, more impactful relationships. This year wasn’t just about delivering exceptional legal services—it was about stepping into our clients’ worlds, understanding their unique challenges, and proactively finding ways to elevate their operations and ours. And so we embarked on a journey…
From boardrooms in South Africa to scenic workshops in Switzerland and engaging conferences in Atlanta, we travelled far and wide to connect with our clients on a whole new level. By diving deep into their operations and priorities, we sought out opportunities to improve not just legal services but their procurement processes and legal operations as a whole. Our goal? To proactively identify opportunities for improvement. Armed with insights gained, we have reshaped processes, sparked fresh ideas and solutions, and strengthened partnerships. As an added bonus, our international travels allowed team members to experience the beauty of Lucerne, the vibrant energy of London and the rich cultural heritage of Madrid, making the journey as rewarding as the outcomes.
This renewed focus on client relationship management, combined with internal process improvements, enabled Lighthouse to negotiate an impressive 3,150 matters this year—2,400 of which were new, with the majority categorised as medium to high complexity. Our Managed Legal Services offering continues to set the benchmark as a sophisticated, tech-enabled solution that evolves with client needs. We’ve seen steady growth in our renewable energy and logistics sector workstreams and continue to work on some of the largest IT and tech outsourcing engagements in Southern Africa.
We also experienced steady growth with LightHub, our award-winning legal tech and matter management tool, and Beacon Consulting, our procurement consultancy. Beacon has had a particularly busy year, managing procurement services for a global logistics company and providing strategic guidance on one of South Africa’s largest IT and tech outsourcing transactions for a global energy leader.
Our Legal Ops offering has had an exciting year with landmark engagements to transform global in-house legal functions, driving efficiency, harnessing technology, and ensuring the in-house lawyers are freed up to provide business critical strategic advice rather than being caught in the weeds of daily BAU tasks.
Our team’s efforts were recognized globally, with listings in Chambers – New Law & Global Guides, Best Lawyer, and four shortlistings in the Africa Legal Awards, where we proudly won the CSR, Diversity & Empowerment award. We also hosted two successful Vac Work programs, with four of those attendees set to join us next year—two as candidate attorneys and two as part of our Lighthouse Academy internship program.
Beyond work, 2024 was a year filled with camaraderie and shared milestones. From the adrenaline of bike races like the Double Century and sani2c to the triumph of trail running, triathlons and marathons, our team embodied the spirit of perseverance and collaboration. We were also thrilled to celebrate Matt McConkey’s incredible achievement in representing South Africa at the 2024 Hockey Masters World Cup—bringing home gold and making us all proud!
As we reflect on the achievements of 2024, we are filled with gratitude for the trust and opportunities from our clients, and pride in our team’s relentless pursuit of excellence. Here’s to another year of innovation, collaboration, and success—together.