Scaling Up Coaches — Client Case Study

How Norling Law Transformed with Scaling Up

When Norling Law first engaged Scaling Up and certified coach Glenn Marvin, they were already a respected boutique law firm known for their expertise in commercial disputes and insolvency. But like many growing professional services firms, they faced a challenge familiar to ambitious leaders: how to scale effectively without losing the quality, culture, and values that had made them successful.

Scaling Up Coach Glenn Marvin — Scaling Up Certified Coach Glenn Marvin

Three years later, Norling Law has emerged as a premium boutique law firm at the forefront of its field. With a record-breaking year in 2025, client consultations more than doubling since 2022, and a strong employer brand attracting top legal talent, the firm is well on track to meet its long-term goals for 2032. At the heart of this transformation lies their deliberate application of the Scaling Up framework, supported by Glenn’s hands-on coaching.

A Firm Poised for Change

Founded with a vision of delivering practical outcomes in high-stakes commercial matters, Norling Law had established a solid reputation for excellence. However, the leadership team recognized that traditional law firm growth models, relying heavily on partner-driven networking and organic referrals, would not deliver the scalable, sustainable success they envisioned.

They sought a framework that would allow them to align strategy, execution, people, and financial performance while maintaining their premium service standards and cultivating a culture that attracted and retained exceptional talent. Scaling Up provided that framework.

“Scaling Up helped us see our business through a new lens,” says Norling Law’s leadership. “It gave us clarity about where we wanted to go and the discipline to get there, step by step.”

Clarity of Vision: 2032 and Beyond

Through Scaling Up, the firm articulated bold long-term objectives as part of its 10-Year Plan to 2032:

To remain the premium boutique law firm of choice in New Zealand for complex commercial disputes and insolvency.
To grow to 15 senior solicitors (Associate level or above) supported by high-performing teams and leading-edge technology.
To become a clear Employer of Choice, with a strong pipeline of lawyers eager to join their A-Team culture.
To achieve consistent recognition as a leader in their field, with clients and peers alike acknowledging their excellence.

This vision gave the leadership team a roadmap for growth that went beyond revenue targets, focusing equally on operational excellence and cultural strength.

The Four Decisions in Action

People: Building the A-Team

Norling Law recognised early that its people would be the key to scaling successfully. Working with Glenn, they focused on building a high-performance culture anchored in their core values: Deliver Innovation, Driven by Data, Get it Done, and Celebrate the Wins, Results Focussed & Outstanding Communication.

Every team member now has their own development plan and dramatically increased visibility into their own performance data with the philosophy ingrained into them of “Measuring the Gain NOT the Gap” as if they concentrate on being the best they can be ahead of comparing to peers they will more often than not outperform the company KPI’s in place for most performance metrics.
They invested heavily in employer branding, using storytelling, staff testimonials, and digital campaigns to showcase their supportive and progressive workplace. This focus has paid dividends, enabling the firm to meet recruitment targets even in a highly competitive legal job market. It has also supported internal promotions, contributing to a clear career pathway for ambitious legal professionals.

Strategy: Standing Apart in a Crowded Market

In a legal market dominated by larger multi-service firms and traditional boutiques, Norling Law differentiated itself by honing its niche and embracing innovation. The firm’s strategy, developed and refined through Scaling Up coaching, centres on delivering practical, commercial solutions in complex disputes, insolvency, and tax-related matters.

Committing to specializing has elevated their brand recognition in the space and created many opportunities to collaborate with other law firms that do not have expertise in the same space who are now prepared to work together with no fear of cannibalization of client relationships.

Together with Glenn Marvin and Connect the Dots, Norling Law has built a bold omnichannel presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Spotify, and Google Ads. This progressive approach to client acquisition stood in sharp contrast to the passive marketing and reliance on legacy relationships seen in many traditional firms.

Free resources such as downloadable eBooks on shareholder disputes, construction agreements, and IRD tax debt issues, paired with free initial consultations, have positioned Norling Law as a thought leader and made their services more accessible to prospective clients.

Execution: Data-Driven Decision Making

Central to Norling Law’s transformation has been its embrace of data. Using Ninety software dashboards and Scaling Up tools, the leadership team regularly analyses performance across both legal services and marketing channels.

A key example of this approach was the firm’s response to a surge in demand for IRD tax debt negotiation services. While demand volume and acquisition costs suggested increased advertising in this area, deeper analysis revealed that insolvency advisory work, though less frequent, delivered a much higher efficiency ratio and return on time invested. This insight enabled Norling Law to maintain focus on high-value services while developing an AI-assisted self-service tool to support smaller businesses with IRD issues, meeting market demand without diluting resources.

Cash: Scaling Sustainably

Norling Law’s disciplined approach to scaling has also produced strong financial results. Between 2022 and 2025, the firm more than doubled its average monthly consultations, from 30–40 per month to consistently over 100 while reducing marketing spend by over 15%.

2025 was the firm’s strongest year on record, and 2026 is already tracking ahead of its most ambitious growth targets. By aligning marketing with overall business performance rather than just channel-specific return on ad spend, the firm has ensured its growth is both profitable and sustainable.

Recognition of Excellence

Norling Law’s transformation has not gone unnoticed. The firm’s industry recognition includes:

NZ Law Awards – Finalist for Litigation and Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year (2017–2024), Excellence Awardee (2020–2023), and Finalist for Boutique Law Firm of the Year and Employer of Choice (multiple years).
NZ Lawyer Employer of Choice – Winner in 2020 and 2023.
Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Recognized as a Leading Firm for Restructuring & Insolvency every year from 2020 to 2024.
Top 30 Law Firms in Australia and New Zealand (2024) – As named by NZ Lawyer.

These accolades reflect not only the firm’s legal expertise but also its commitment to culture, innovation, and client outcomes.

A Model for Modern Law Firms

For Norling Law, Scaling Up has been more than a growth strategy; it has been a framework for building a business that is resilient, agile, and future-focused.

“Scaling Up gave us the tools and accountability to grow the right way,” says the leadership team. “We are no longer just responding to demand—we’re shaping our business proactively, with a clear vision and the team to deliver it.”

Their story serves as a powerful example for professional services firms navigating the complexities of growth. By embracing a values-driven culture, a data-informed strategy, and the discipline of Scaling Up, Norling Law has positioned itself for continued success well into 2032 and beyond.

Scaling New Heights