Episode 4: LAMBDA – Build your own Excel functions

It allows you to turn a formula into a reusable function – directly within Excel – without relying on macros or VBA.

For example, if you were to produce a custom function using LAMBDA that multiples two values together.

Simply type, =LAMBDA(x, y, x*y). X and Y are the parameters and X*Y is the calculation.

This simple example defines a reusable function. In practice, LAMBDA can be used to standardise far more complex calculations.

Why this matters in a legal environment

Legal finance and operations teams depend on consistency across:

• Financial models
• Billing calculations
• Performance reporting
• Forecasting

Using LAMBDA helps by:

✔ Standardising calculations across teams
✔ Reducing manual rework
✔ Removing reliance on hidden formulas
✔ Improving transparency and auditability

Practical uses in law firms

• Standardised realisation and recovery calculations
• Consistent matter profitability logic
• Reusable pricing and fee models
• Automating repetitive spreadsheet processes

For firms focused on improving financial control and operational efficiency, this is a significant step forward.

At Baskerville Drummond LLP, we often see that consistency in calculation logic is just as important as the data itself.

Next episode: Dynamic Arrays – (SEQUENCE, SORT, UNIQUE, TAKE, DROP)

Baskerville Drummond LLP | Advising the legal sector on performance, profitability, and operational improvement

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