by Bruce | May 30, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
An "evergreen" topic here at "Adam Smith, Esq.," because one despairs to find a durable equilibrium solution for it, is the perennial debate over "eat what you kill" (EWYK) vs. lockstep compensation systems. Each has its place in the...
by Bruce | May 28, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management
Usually we draw lessons from other law firms, or (even more usually) from the massive managerial literature of corporate America, which, as regular readers know, I have always believed offers us a relatively untapped stock of wisdom (and cant, to be sure) on managing...
by Bruce | May 20, 2006 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
When I began practicing in New York in the early 1980’s there were still vestiges of the "white shoe"/Jewish law firm divide; indeed, Breed, Abbott & Morgan, where I started, and Shea & Gould, where I also worked, were almost caricatures of...
by Bruce | May 17, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
A loyal reader who has also become a friend writes that he has just re-read The American Lawyer’s lead story on the AmLaw 100 for 2006 and he has some questions (emphasis supplied): "Maybe I’m missing something, but the analysis seems flawed to me...
by Bruce | May 11, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management
Across the pond, anti-age discrimination regulations are going to go into effect in October, and firms are already bracing for their impact. This is what they require, in a nutshell: "The Regulations apply to employment and vocational training. They...
by Bruce | May 4, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Practice Group Management
CFO magazine (along with the usual sources) reports that at Raytheon’s annual meeting yesterday the company announced that it would freeze CEO William Swanson’s salary at its 2005 level and reduce his restricted stock eligibility by 20%. Not...