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Besides its changes to criminal law described in this issue, the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 (FERA), signed into law on May 20, 2009, significantly increases companies' exposure to civil lawsuits brought by the government and whistleblowers.

Since Dec. 12, 2008, the ability of company counsel to make independent judgments and to advocate on behalf of their clients has been co-opted. That was the effective date of an amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which covers almost anyone who contracts to provide products or services to the federal government.

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With so many lawyers up for grabs, many of them eminently qualified, firms have enticing opportunities to bring aboard top talent, sometimes at bargain prices. But let the hirer beware. Lateral hiring isn't without risk, and more lateral hiring means more exposure to claims alleging malpractice and other failings.

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The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 (FERA), enacted in May, was easy to miss. Yet this small piece of legislation makes a number of significant changes to the federal money laundering and criminal fraud statutes ' changes about which lawyers who represent clients accused of white-collar crimes will want to be aware.

In the current recession, partners whose practices depend on transactional areas of the law have experienced a significant decline in business. Some firms may have the resources and client work to carry them. Others may not. "Re-engineering" underutilized partners, although not the easiest solution, could be the least objectionable.

Whether or not a law firm offers its clients estate planning services, the input of a CPA is vital to ensure that a client receives the most comprehensive estate planning advice. Law firms without estate planning capabilities should work closely with accounting firms that do have estate planning expertise in order to realize an additional revenue stream from existing clients.

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The cash-flow statement is the single most important tool for the success of any business. Most lawyers, and even many large law firms, begin to realize that they are in trouble only after the money ceases to come in the door. However, cash flow cessation is usually the last symptom of a downward spiral that started long before.

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