Recognizing the Signs of Financial Distress
Diagnosing financial distress, and the ability to address the relevant issues, is a necessary role of board members and senior executives. This article examines the types of distress, how to measure it versus how the capital markets measure it, and some of the tools and solutions a company has to address the issues during times of stress.
AIM 1-2-3
November 01, 2017
There is a patented methodology that follows the same path that the introduction of depreciation followed, with the impact being similar in its influence, power and effect: The AIM (Actuarially Initiated Measurements) Program. An employer using this methodology realizes the ability to uncover and maximize missed opportunities to control fluctuations and variations in earnings per share (EPS).
Alternative Fee Arrangements in Complex Litigation
<i><b>The Case for Value Billing</i></b><p>Alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) are about value, a benefit legal departments are increasingly pressured to bring to their companies. When hiring an outside lawyer, clients are not looking for "hours," and they certainly are not looking for tenths of hours. They seek value.
Securing Your Information-Rich Employee Benefit Plans
Hackers have turned to a new information-rich source: employee benefit plans. This article examines the threat facing benefit plans, explores the applicable legal landscape, and recommends steps to better equip plans to prepare for and manage data breaches.
Role and Responsibilities of Practice Group Leaders
Ideally, the objective of defining the role and responsibilities of Practice Group Leaders should be to establish just enough structure and accountability within their respective practice group to maximize the economic potential of the firm, while institutionalizing the principles of leadership and teamwork.
The Ever-Changing State of State and Local Taxes
For tax professionals, particularly those who specialize in the area of state and local taxes, nexus is a topic that is discussed all too often. Nexus rules have lagged behind the ever-changing economic landscape, but states are beginning to catch up. Nonetheless, the nexus rules are very important for professional services firms such as law firms.
The Cost of Making Partner
Making partner isn't cheap, and the cost is more than just the years of hard work and stress that associates put in as they reach for the brass ring.
Update: The China Equipment Leasing Market
<b><I>Reaching an Inflection Point</I></b><p>As the Chinese government tightly regulates leasing, it is problematic that the industry has never been able to develop a unified position on important licensing, tax, capitalization, regulatory and other requirements. This needs to change if the industry is to continue to expand, particularly among small and medium enterprises.
How Firms Should Be Measuring the Profitability of Matters
Matter profitability matters. Yet most firms struggle to measure it in a manner that is accurate, focused on the levers partners control, and inclines partners to take action. Using margin per-partner-hour (MPH) to measure profitability delivers on these objectives.
When Will Disruption Hit the Legal Industry?
Economics tells us an industry that experiences a drop in aggregate demand, adds production capacity, and increases the market overlap among competitors will suffer price erosion and profitability decline. Law firms fit this profile. Yet, in talking with law firm partners, you don't get the sense that any such "disruption" is happening. Perhaps economics has bypassed law?
