Reducing Client Costs For Investigative Services
February 27, 2006
In a perfect world, firms could employ private investigators who are as skilled as pseudo-bumbling television police detective Columbo, Dallas lawyer William Brewer III says. <br>That's rarely the case when Brewer contracts with private investigation companies to help with litigation at 35-lawyer Bickel & Brewer, so the firm launched its own investigative unit in January. It's staffed by three former agents and a former training instructor with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Pay Parity Across Legal Markets: Multiple Perspectives
February 27, 2006
As firms across the country lift associate salaries, some are opting to pay the same in all U.S. offices outside New York, while others still pay less in secondary markets like Philadelphia, Atlanta or Miami.
Avoiding Boilerplate Traps in Commercial Leases
February 27, 2006
Boilerplate in a commercial lease ' notably in the Miscellaneous section ' is not nearly as uniform and standard as one might think. Boilerplate provisions therefore merit careful review by each party to the lease, and sometimes vigorous negotiation. Law firms are often tenants but sometimes also landlords; the authors provide advice for protecting both interests.
An Uncivil Code in the EU?
February 06, 2006
In the wake of the tidal wave of franchise regulation that has hit Europe, in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Lithuania and Estonia, there is another tidal swell rapidly approaching. Over the last 3 years, a privately financed group of European academics, working under the title, "The Study Group on a European Civil Code," have been developing a model European Civil Code. One of the Study Group's subgroups (the "Amsterdam Team") has drafted a chapter on Commercial Agency, Franchise and Distribution Contracts, the latest draft of which is dated January 2005.
Law Firm Bankruptcies
February 03, 2006
With globalization and the increasing number of mergers; with the opening of more branch offices by the national firms; and with record number of lawyers leaving law firms, competition in the legal profession has become more intense and cutthroat. As a result, are there more law firm bankruptcies on the horizon? If so, what are the ramifications? What procedures must be followed? The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the basic issues likely to surface in a law firm bankruptcy case.
When Technology Doesn't Work
February 03, 2006
The traditional wisdom, "failing to plan is planning to fail," has been transformed into a rule of thumb for the tech sector: "plan for failure." Firms that do not explicitly anticipate systems failure run the risk of being unprepared for a catastrophe, just as Floridians must plan for hurricanes in August ' and New Orleans must now be prepared for potential dike breaches.
Associate Break-Even: A Matter of Perspective
February 03, 2006
In my role as a consultant, I work with clients who wish to make critical business decisions but sometimes suspect the reliability of their internally generated numbers. Last month, Ed Wesemann wrote about just such a situation, when he referred to the common belief that associates do not make money in their first 3 years. Intuitively, this does not make sense to many law firm managers, yet their reports often support this contention.
Associate Overcompensation?
February 03, 2006
As described in the following article abridgements from A&FP sibling publications, associate salaries and rates are headed up once again, pressures from cost-conscious clients notwithstanding. I have a possibly discomfiting view to offer on this, but first let's take a look at the bandwagon effect now in progress in some major U.S. legal markets.
Flexibility in Flexible Spending
February 03, 2006
The Internal Revenue Service has provided guidance in Notice 2005-86 on the interaction of the 2.5-month grace period for a health flexible spending arrangement (health FSA) (established earlier by Notice 2005-42) and an individual's eligibility to contribute to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
Building a State-of-the-Art Anti-Bribery Program
February 03, 2006
Anti-bribery laws have serious consequences for anyone doing business internationally. Violations come to light during routine M&A due diligence, when competitors complain or employees blow the whistle, or when companies voluntarily disclose as a part of their Sarbanes-Oxley reporting obligations. When they do come to light, strong internal controls may shield executives from some liability and restore confidence amongst shareholders and regulators.
