Law Firm Management

  • Career Journal: Downsizing

    Whether or not to adjust the number of employees or partners downward can be a critical decision for 2008. In the event it does happen, marketing executives will, undoubtedly, be asked to help craft appropriate messages to both the market and within their own firms in advance of rumor mills, blogs, and especially, the competitors offering their own take on the changes. However daunting the task, working through such scenarios can go a long way toward preserving your firm's reputation and bolstering your own career opportunities within your current firm or with a prospective employer.

    January 30, 2008Michael DeCosta

  • The Best of MLF 2007

    In last month's issue, we highlighted articles from the first half of 2007. Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Anne "Betiayn" Tursi presents in this issue excerpts from one article from each of the August to December issues.

    January 30, 2008Elizabeth Anne "Betiayn" Tursi

  • Movers & Shakers

    Who's doing what; who's going where.

    January 30, 2008ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |

  • Movers & Shakers

    Who's doing what; who's going where.

    January 29, 2008ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |

  • The Rise in Family Responsibility Discrimination Cases

    Part One of this article began a discussion of the dramatic increase in cases alleging caregiver discrimination. Part Two herein discusses the most recent cases and guidelines involving this area of the law, and how employers can best protect themselves, given the explosion of family responsibility discrimination (FRD) cases and the open issues that could further impact the number of FRD filings.

    January 29, 2008Carolyn Plump

  • The Latest on 'No-Match' Letters

    In the wake of a failed attempt to negotiate legislation for comprehensive U.S. immigration reform with Congress, the Bush Administration recently announced a series of 'regulatory' reforms to tighten immigration enforcement. Perhaps the most significant and controversial of those reforms is the Department of Homeland Security's new regulation addressing 'no-match' letters. Although the new regulation has been temporarily enjoined pending a hearing in federal court, employers should begin considering how they will comply with it if an injunction is not granted.

    January 29, 2008John D. Shyer and Phillip J. Perry

  • Ownership of e-Mail Is Not Clear

    In the current litigious environment, what happens when an employee sends personal, allegedly confidential communications from work to his or her attorney or spouse? Can the employer lawfully access those e-mails, or do the attorney-client and marital privileges prohibit the employer from doing so? In answering this question, the key inquiry is always whether the employee had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the e-mails at issue.

    January 29, 2008Elise M. Bloom

  • WHAT DOES WORK IN THE RED ZONE III.

    WHAT WORKS IN THE RED ZONE III. I have often heard corporate counsel say that they hate surprises from their outside counsel. And surveys of corporate counsel always rank communication from their law firms as an important factor in maintaining strong, working relationships. A simple technique, often overlooked by outside lawyers heavily engaged in a project, is to set periodic meetings with their clients. Don't wait for them to ask questions or confront problems in…

    January 28, 2008Allan Colman, CEO, the Closers Group: [email protected]

  • WHAT DOES WORK IN THE RED ZONE II.

    WHAT DOES WORK IN THE RED ZONE II. This second in a series will focus on tactics to enhance client relationships leading to future business development for your law firm. One of the highest compliments you can pay to your client is to refer business to them. From a law firm marketing point of view, this may be the second best technique to generate expanded engagements, the first being to perform the highest quality of…

    January 18, 2008Allan Colman, CEO, the Closers Group: [email protected]

  • WHAT WORKS IN THE RED ZONE?

    WHAT WORKS IN THE RED ZONE? This article begins a new series on what in-house counsel say helps their outside counsel begin, improve and maintain relationships. 1. Make major efforts to communicate at the beginning of an engagement. All too often, once an engagement is awarded, GC's find the lawyer who shows up appears to be a very different person from the one in the presentation. And periodically double check what you promised in the…

    January 11, 2008Allan Colman, CEO, the Closers Group: [email protected]