Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Accounting and Financial Planning for Law FirmsKickerFeaturesTopicsLaw Firm ManagementSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Communicating Firm Finances to the Partnership

By Jonathan S. Kuo

It's no secret that 2009 was a year where many law firms began to intensively focus on their finances. Unlike in the past, it is not just firm leadership taking a close look at the firm's books these days. The focus on finances has extended to law firm partners, involving a wider audience than the managing partner and management committee. In firms grappling with the severity of the economic crisis, legal management consultants, such as the author's firm, have noticed many encountering unexpected challenges when communicating the firms' financial results with the wider partnership. In some firms, for example, many partners have widely varying perspectives on practice profitability, office profitability, utilization, expenses, and overhead allocation. We have even found some partners from the same firm referencing different values for supposedly the same performance metric.

We believe most financial misunderstandings and shortcomings can be avoided if firm management were to use some fairly straightforward communication techniques with their general partnership. In this article we have compiled a few considerations for a law firm's head-of-finance (CFOs, EDs, etc.) to contemplate when communicating with his or her respective partnership.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

Beach Boys Songs Written Decades Ago Triggered Current Quarrel With Lawyers Image

There's current litigation in the ongoing Beach Boys litigation saga. A lawsuit filed in 2019 against Nevada residents Mike Love and his wife Jacquelyne in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada that alleges inaccurate payment by the Loves under the retainer agreement and seeks $84.5 million in damages.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Transfer Tax Implications on Real Property Leases Image

The real property transfer tax does not apply to all leases, and understanding the tax rules of the applicable jurisdiction can allow parties to plan ahead to avoid unnecessary tax liability.