Law Firm Financials

Although a handful of law firms has hired non-lawyer sales teams, most still rely upon individual attorneys or practice groups to generate new client matters (i.e., to sell) even though the majority of them have never received business development skills training. This article describes some of the important characteristics and habits shared by attorneys who have built successful practices.

Law firm leadership is at a proverbial fork in the road. The people running law firms can continue to do business as usual, or they can lead their firms toward a model of business that reflects the new and still evolving client expectations and market demands.

With associate compensation dominating the headlines over the past several months, partner compensation has managed to slip under the radar. This isn't particularly surprising, however, given how uncomfortable discussions regarding partner pay can be for lawyers and their firms.Despite the tendency to delay or even avoid such conversations, partnership compensation remains one of the most scrutinized decisions in a law practice.

A Chapter 11 debtor's motion for an order approving use of Cash Collateral or for Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) Financing usually happens as part of the so-called first-day hearings held within a few days after commencement of the case. The problem for creditors and equipment lessors is that while the debtor may have sent your client a notice of the bankruptcy case, the notice sometimes goes to the payment lock box or to someone who doesn't even know what bankruptcy is, much less that the order being sought is key to your client's future payment.

As more and more millennials enter the workforce, generational clashes will continue. What can be done to bridge the gap and why should you care?