The Human Factor In Information Security
January 01, 2017
No one can deny that cyberattacks are the new norm. Such risks will increasingly challenge our ability to operate our businesses. In the world of cybercrime, everyone — from individuals to nation-states — is a target. However, some targets are more alluring than others.
Non-Compete Clauses In California
January 01, 2017
Non-compete clauses in employment contracts typically seek to preclude employees from working for a competitor for a specific period of time and within a specific geographic area. Most states allow non-competition agreements, provided they are reasonable in scope and justified by the employer's legitimate business interests. California, however, generally prohibits covenants not to compete, subject to limited exceptions.
<i>Professional Development</i><br>Survey: Today's Am Law Chief Marketing Officer
December 01, 2016
<i><b>Dramatic Change Defines the Position</i></b><p>
Perhaps no non-practicing lawyer position has changed as dramatically as that of the leading marketing professional, which bears no resemblance to the position in the 1990s. Twenty-five years ago, law firm marketing executives were asked to put together brochures and prepare seating charts for client and partner functions. It's a different world today.
Retiring Boomers Pose Big Challenges For Firms
November 01, 2016
The boomer generation — 75 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 — and a tiny cadre of over-70s Silent Generation lawyers currently make up just under half of partners at Am Law 200 firms. As partners with the greatest seniority, they constitute a majority in the equity and management ranks, and control an outsize share of client relationships. The impacts of retirement are amplified because a long surge in hiring and promotion that began when boomers entered law firms has halted since the financial crisis.
Highlights of 2016 and Predictions for 2017 Attract Year-End Media Interest
November 01, 2016
By guiding your colleagues and lawyers to focus on the business consequences of timely legal issues, you introduce them to reporters as sources whose opinions and predictions will be quoted in these look-back and look-ahead review stories that executives and prospective clients will be reading to gear up for the new year.
On the Hot Seat: Five Must-Haves for Today's Am Law 100 Chief Operating Officers
November 01, 2016
Over the years, the structure of law firms has shifted from a geographical model to a practice group model. Rather than placing leaders in each geographical office, law firm practice group leaders have more power. As law firms have evolved in size, reach, and complexity, so too has the need for seasoned executives to manage the business of law.
Compensation Remains One of the Most Important Decisions for a Law Firm
November 01, 2016
With associate compensation dominating the headlines over the past several months, partner compensation has managed to slip under the radar. This isn't particularly surprising, however, given how uncomfortable discussions regarding partner pay can be for lawyers and their firms.Despite the tendency to delay or even avoid such conversations, partnership compensation remains one of the most scrutinized decisions in a law practice.
AI and the Law
November 01, 2016
<b><i>The Paradigm Shift Hits the Fan</b></i><p><p>AI — artificial intelligence — and its relatives: digital research engines, “bots” and other automatons, have made their beachhead in the legal profession, and it really looks like this is gonna change everything.
Partner and Millennial Associates' Performance Expectations
November 01, 2016
“They don't want to work!” It's an all-too-familiar refrain uttered about associates of the millennial generation. As more and more millennials enter the workforce these generational clashes will continue. What can be done to bridge the gap and why should you care?
When Is Employee Hacking a Crime?
November 01, 2016
Employees have found success in defeating CFAA accusations, often by arguing that they did not access a database or other proprietary information without authorization because their login credentials had yet to be revoked. As surveyed below, results have been mixed for employees accused of hacking into the databases of their own companies, competitors and potential business partners. This article discusses three recent cases in this area of law.
