The Coming Tsunami in the Legal Profession
May 01, 2016
There have been four waves of change over the last 50 years. We are now entering the fifth wave and this one will be a tsunami. The lawyers who do not recognize the trends will not be able to enter a new era and survive. The fifth wave will turn partnership leverage, compensation systems and the business model upside down. There is not much time to make the incremental changes that will support sustained profitability in law firms.
Industry Growth Forecast
May 01, 2016
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (ELFA) has released its Q2 update to the 2016 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook, which lowered its yearly equipment and software investment forecast to 2.7%, down from 4.4% growth forecast in its 2016 Annual Outlook released in December 2015.
To Merge or Not to Merge?
May 01, 2016
The "one-percenters" that we are hearing so much about in this year's primary election campaigns also have an analogous place in current law firm economics. The rich are getting richer, and most others are struggling to hold their own.
The Dirty Little Secret of Law Firm Billing
May 01, 2016
<I>The Wall Street Journal's</I> recent front-page headline on billing rates tells only part of the story. "Legal Fees Cross New Mark: $1,500 an Hour," the Feb. 9 article announced before listing partner hourly rates at several big firms. But that's only part of the story.
Millennials Approaching Partnership: Now What?
May 01, 2016
Since debuting in law firms nearly a decade ago, the latest generation of lawyers has raised more than a few eyebrows. Workplace flexibility, firm culture integration, meaningful training with takeaways and clearly defined billable hour goal options were not nearly as mainstream before the arrival of the Millennials.
Applying the Doctrine of Incorporation by Estoppel in New York
May 01, 2016
The incorporation by estoppel doctrine is today well established in the Commercial Division. Accordingly, defendants who contract or otherwise deal with an entity as a corporation run the risk of being estopped from denying the entity's corporate existence in any action arising out of such contract or dealing.
How to Run Your Law Firm More Like a Business
May 01, 2016
If your firm is like most, your top goals include growing revenue, and in turn, increasing profitability. You've implemented practice management software, and probably even a customer relationship management (CRM) system to help you achieve those objectives. Now what?
Debating Nonlawyer Ownership of Law Firms
May 01, 2016
Lawyers love a debate, and it looks like a doozy is set concerning nonlawyer ownership of law firms (NLO). The president of the New York State Bar Association, David P. Miranda, has requested that New York lawyers just "Say No to Nonlawyer Ownership (NLO)."