The Urge to Merge
September 29, 2009
In the midst of the current recession-induced pummeling of law firms and in-house legal departments, some positive changes are occurring that are setting the stage for a stronger industry. One is the quantity and quality of law firm mergers that are being consummated.
Creating Better Mentors
September 29, 2009
The success of any law firm is dependent on the quality of its lawyers. So, developing the next generation is always of monumental importance. But not all partners are skilled in effective mentoring. This article describes the basics of what makes a good mentor, and in turn, a good program.
Firms Should Examine Their 401(k) Plans for Savings
September 29, 2009
Most law firms, like other companies, offer 401(k) plans to their workers. And many firms, like other companies, are looking to reduce their costs. One way of saving cash is to make changes to the 401(k) plan ' but making changes requires advance planning and advance time is running short for firms with 2010 calendar year plans.
The Arcane Art of Managing Marketers
September 18, 2009
The Difference Between Doing And Managing Marketing In the early, primitive days of marketing professional services, there weren't enough people doing marketing for law, accounting, and consulting firms to think much about departmental management. The exceptions, of course, were the larger firms, particularly those for whom, in the beginning, having more people on staff was often equated to better marketing. Marketing, at the beginning, was invariably assigned to a partner, who had only a vague'
The Arcane Art of Managing Marketers
September 18, 2009
The Difference Between Doing And Managing Marketing In the early, primitive days of marketing professional services, there weren't enough people doing marketing for law, accounting, and consulting firms to think much about departmental management. The exceptions, of course, were the larger firms, particularly those for whom, in the beginning, having more people on staff was often equated to better marketing. Marketing, at the beginning, was invariably assigned to a partner, who had only a vague…
The Arcane Art of Managing Marketers
September 18, 2009
The Difference Between Doing And Managing Marketing In the early, primitive days of marketing professional services, there weren't enough people doing marketing for law, accounting, and consulting firms to think much about departmental management. The exceptions, of course, were the larger firms, particularly those for whom, in the beginning, having more people on staff was often equated to better marketing. Marketing, at the beginning, was invariably assigned to a partner, who had only a vague…
A New Beginning
August 27, 2009
Thinking of law school as an assured meal ticket or as simply a safe harbor in which to weather the economic storm is probably not appropriate in today's world, particularly given the substantial debt that law students typically incur in order to pay for their education," notes a prominent law school dean.
Shopping Spree!
August 27, 2009
In last month's issue, we began a discussion of a vexatious practice of some matrimonial litigants: They consult with attorneys whose services they have no intention of engaging simply to disqualify them from being able to represent their spouses. Attorneys affected by such "serial consulters" need to know what their options and obligations are.
Gaining Confidence in Alternative Billing
August 27, 2009
Firms that model matter planning scenarios provide their partners and business development staff with the crucial ability to gauge up front how different approaches to pricing and staffing will affect profitability. Modeling allows firms to make adjustments before making their bid ' and therefore price alternative billing arrangements with confidence.
Tax Discounts on Valuations of Pass-through Entities
August 26, 2009
In the area of business valuation, the experienced practitioner should know as much, if not more, of the lingo than the competition. The seasoned attorney will know enough to size up his/her expert so the court does not dismiss a valuation as inherently unfair.
