When Wellbeing Becomes Risk- Pressure, Coping Behaviours and Early Intervention in Law Firms

A year on from their first session with the Compliance Collective, Steven McCann and Rebecca Banks return to explore how the conversation around addiction, substance use and workplace risk has evolved across the legal profession.

Drawing on MCG Consulting’s work over the past 12 months with leading law firms, professional bodies, regulators and financial institutions, they will share what they are increasingly seeing inside high-performance organisations, and why the focus is shifting from awareness and crisis response towards earlier intervention, psychologically safe conversations and sustainable performance.

The session will consider how addiction and unhealthy coping behaviours can remain hidden behind high performance, what compliance and risk professionals may notice before a situation becomes a formal conduct or regulatory issue, and how firms can balance compassion with accountability, professional standards and client protection.

Steven and Rebecca will combine lived experience with practical insight, looking at the role compliance professionals can play in creating cultures where people feel able to speak earlier, before silence develops into greater personal and organisational risk.