CRM: Not an 'Ancient Chinese Secret'
September 01, 2006
The wisdom of Confucius enlightens. although it usually takes a very long time to figure out the meaning of a select Confucianism, you know the wisdom is there somewhere. But it takes a lot of thinking to figure out the benefits of his wisdom. The same has been said about client-relationship management technology (CRM).
ERM: Firms Leverage Innovative Technology
September 01, 2006
Pre-existing relationships ' whether with clients, former colleagues, or law school classmates ' are every law firm's number-one source for new client development. As large firms know firsthand, the strength of having a vast network is offset by the struggle to effectively search and access those relationships. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton is a full-service AmLaw 100 firm with 1000 employees in nine nationwide offices. To support our business development and marketing efforts, we must be able to leverage our strong network of contacts and immediately identify everyone within our firm who has a valuable pre-existing relationship and can make an introduction.
Practice Tip: Demystifying Document Assembly
September 01, 2006
The phrase document assembly can refer to the automated process of creating a simple letter from a letter template to a more complex series of interview questions that assemble a multi-page document, complete with content that is ready to deliver. The industry definition refers to compiling documents from a re-pository of stored paragraphs, clauses and document packages that are selected based on interview responses. Document assembly products provide users with marked improvements in turnaround time, consistency, accuracy and quality.
Using Conversion to Your Advantage
September 01, 2006
Most people shiver at the first mention of the word 'conversion' during a system implementation. For some organizations, conversion may be the key factor when determining whether to undertake a new system implementation. The dread associated with the term stems from unpredictability and uncertainty in time, cost and data quality. There is no cookie-cutter conversion ' no two conversions are the same, nor should they be handled in the same manner. The conversion effort can be big or small, manual or scripted, stem from a single system or contain legacy data from multiple systems. In any case, there are some key steps that apply to all conversions that should be taken into consideration to execute them successfully.
Leasing Grows in Latin America
September 01, 2006
According to a recent report by the Alta Group Latin American Region ('LAR'), equipment leasing volume in Latin American countries increased by more than 50% on average in 2005. The Alta LAR 100 report, which includes the firm's second annual ranking of the Top 100 leasing companies in Latin America, has expanded with new information revealing the region's fastest-growing businesses, key multinationals, and growth in each country. Rafael Castillo-Triana, principal for The Alta Group LAR, noted that 'Brazil, which has the largest leasing industry in the region, experienced tremendous growth and almost doubled in size.' In addition, 'The report also shows that Argen-tina's leasing industry is recovering from the downturn following the country's economic crisis of 2002.'
In the Marketplace
September 01, 2006
Highlights of the latest equipment leasing news from around the country.
Financial Restatement Due to Lease Misclassification Not Actionable
September 01, 2006
As internal control issues continue to emerge for public companies, one of the questions that a leasing or financial services company might likely be asking is what happens if we need to restate our earnings based on a misclassification of our leases as sales-type leases rather than operating leases. What would our exposure be?
Trial Looms in Web Porn Law Fight
September 01, 2006
A court battle over Congress' attempts to protect children from pornography on the Internet will soon be ripe for trial. After nearly 8 years of litigation challenging the constitutionality of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) ' including two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court ' the plaintiffs have won a handful of significant rulings on key discovery disputes.
Electronic Communications Policies
September 01, 2006
An Electronic Communications Policy (ECP) is an internal publication for employees outlining a firm's Internet, computer and electronic assets guidelines with the objective of minimizing business risks. Along with saving employees time, such publications can improve employee morale, prevent employee-management disagreements and even keep users out of court.
Dealing with Insurers in Liquidation
September 01, 2006
Insurer insolvency has become an increasingly significant concern. Since 1969, more than 400 property and casualty insurers have been placed in liquidation. The past 5 years have seen several larger commercial insurers go into liquidation, among them The Home Insurance Company and Reliance Insurance Company. Indeed, from just 2001 to 2003, Guaranty Associations paid approximately $5 billion in covered claims — more than half the $10 billion they had paid in the previous 31 years from their inception. This article addresses what creditors need to know when dealing with a financially troubled insurer.
