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Strategically Manage Occupancy Costs to Increase Law Firm Profitability
Aside from payroll, real estate costs are a large law firm's most significant expense. Even under the best circumstances, such expenditures ' sometimes called occupancy costs ' consume 8% to 10% of the typical large firm's annual revenue. These costs are not confined to rent; many firms finance millions of dollars worth of expenses associated with the construction of their space.
The real estate market in most cities is described as weak, soft or just plain bad. Such adjectives describe a market in which rents are low and concessions are high. Though this is no doubt a bad situation for landlords, times are very good for tenants who have an opportunity to enhance profitability, remove unfavorable lease language and improve the quality and efficiency of their offices. This environment will not last forever – markets ebb and flow; at the beginning of the decade, most markets were quite tight and large blocks of space were especially difficult to come by. Regardless of market conditions, law firms that expect to maintain or even reduce their occupancy costs will need to adopt creative strategies. By paying special attention to financing, efficiency and flexibility, a firm can develop a real estate strategy that supports rapid changes in its business plan, while positioning itself to compete effectively.
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.
The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs
The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.
Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations
This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
A Lawyer's System for Active Reading
Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.