Realization ' Another View
August 27, 2008
For many managing partners, the practice of law is easy compared with the challenges associated with "realization": an 11-letter word that is the bane of all managing partners everywhere. And 100% realization? Well, that's the Holy Grail of law firm management. Given the choice of winning a Supreme Court case or solving the riddle of meeting their firm's realization goals, many managing partners might just tell the Chief Justices to take a hike.
Measuring Realization to Improve Firm Profits
August 27, 2008
Last month, we reviewed how to tailor a scorecard to your individual firm's goals. This month we review a very important financial metric. In creating a partner scorecard and setting individual partner goals, Realization should be at the top of the list.
Reasonable Compensation for Law Firms and Attorneys
August 27, 2008
This article is intended to provide some fundamental guidance for attorneys and law firms whenever employee-owner compensation is at issue. In many instances, this focus will relate to ownership decisions regarding the overall allocation and character of enterprise profits, but the same concepts and analytical framework can be of benefit in the assessment of reasonable compensation for other purposes, such as the valuation of a non-compete agreement and in the segregation and measurement of personal/professional versus enterprise goodwill for dissolution of marriage purposes in jurisdictions where this aspect is in play.
Resolving the Enigma of Law Firm Leadership
August 27, 2008
When a firm finds itself in the midst of a management crisis, the place to begin to search for the source of the problem is at the top of the management hierarchy. This may not be a popular notion or an easy task. The purpose is not to find fault. The point is that an organization does not simply evolve. It must be built in an orderly manner. The values that are important to a firm have to be defined and centrally organized. The responsibility for these goals must be keyed to an organizational factor, whether this is a committee or an individual.
Financial & Practice Management Upgrades: Squire, Sanders & Dempsey Up Close
August 26, 2008
Since firm attorneys are placed strategically in key global markets, and support staff and firm leaders are spread out among the global office network, it has always been paramount to have not only reliable, but also current, technology to keep everyone connected, ensure seamless business operations and enable firm attorneys to focus on their clients.
More Bad News for Structured Finance?
August 25, 2008
While politicians scramble to preserve <i>Fannie Mae</i> and <i>Freddie Mac</i>, more trouble for financial markets looms on the horizon. Proposed changes to accounting rules for securitization vehicles could decrease the significant role of structured finance in providing the liquidity that sustained recent economic expansion.
Equitable Subordination Still Requires Proof of Harm
August 25, 2008
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a bankruptcy court's equitable subordination order on June 20, 2008. ccording to the court, subordination of the insiders' secured claims was "inappropriate" because the bankruptcy trustee had failed to show that the defendant insiders' "loans to the debtor harmed either the debtor or the general creditors." This article discusses the repercussions of that ruling.
New York Strengthens Wage Laws
August 25, 2008
In light of recent aggressive enforcement efforts of New York's Labor Laws by both the New York State Attorney General's Office and the New York State Department of Labor ("NYSDOL"), prudent employers should consider the effect of these new enactments on their pay and leave practices and take action to ensure compliance.
