On the Move
July 24, 2011
Who's going where; who's doing what.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW AND WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT WHY PEOPLE BUY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
July 18, 2011
Despite thousands of dollars spent on research about why people choose one professional service firm rather than another, we still know remarkably little. Professional services are, to a large extent, too amorphous to respond to simple motivation, but there are some reasonable surmises that can be made, based on both logic and experience.
ATTORNEY MARKETING - KEEPING UP IN 2011
July 11, 2011
ATTORNEY MARKETING - KEEPING UP IN 2011 The past year(s) have proven tough for all types of businesses, including law firms. In this series of blog posts, we will discuss 6 Closers Group recommendations for law firms that will help you withstand the test of time and will prove worthy of your time. 1. Expand Client Efforts - Many firms make the mistake of never expanding their efforts with current clients. By asking clients how your firm…
Waging Trademark War Against 'i-Pirates'
June 30, 2011
Trademark infringers have preyed on the fertile software marketplaces opened by companies like Apple and Google by offering apps for download under names that are identical or confusingly similar to other well-known brand names. These online trademark bandits are effectively engaging in a form of "i-piracy," whereby they attempt to profit from the goodwill associated with established trademarks by pirating those marks for use in their own knock-off apps.
Taxing Online Sales
June 30, 2011
Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn signed the Main Street Fairness Act into law to collect sales tax revenues from a retail market traditionally beyond the states' reach ' the world of online commerce ' by focusing on the role of local online marketing affiliates. But the measure has been harshly criticized by online merchants who contend it is an unconstitutional intrusion on interstate commerce, and by policy analysts who question its ability to raise tax revenues.
Open Source Commands Allure
June 30, 2011
The prospect of "free" software, through the open source movement, seems like a CFO's dream come true. After all, why shouldn't a firm get a critical asset at no cost? In other words, why pay a monthly licensing or maintenance fee when something that appears to work well can possibly be had at no cost online? Unfortunately, the real world has taught us all that "free" can be very expensive.
TiVo v. EchoStar
June 29, 2011
On April 20, 2011, the Federal Circuit issued its opinion in the <i>TiVo Inc. v. EchoStar Corp.</i> case. No. 2009-1374 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 20, 2011). The decision marks a sea change for evaluating contempt of an injunction in a patent case, significantly limiting an infringer's ability to challenge an injunction on the grounds that it is vague or overbroad.
Creating a Catalyst For Change
June 28, 2011
Like many other companies, Rockwell Automation wanted to become more cost-efficient, have the capability to perform benchmarking, make the best staffing decisions and serve our business proactively by providing legal advice that helps lower and manage the company's risks. However, our inability to monitor and report on our outside counsel spending was holding us back from meeting these goals.
The Benefits of a Next Generation Database Platform
June 28, 2011
Data processing tools have evolved and are now well suited for use in law firms to prepare electronic data for use with these Web applications. Law firms that implement these new applications are well positioned to significantly improve efficiency, better serve their clients and dramatically reduce costs.