by Bruce | July 29, 2008 | Articles, Compensation, Finance, Strategy, Technology strategy
Earlier this month, I wrote a column "about wringing our hands" (its actual title was How High Quality Are Your Lawyers? And How Can You Tell?) and I’ve just received a most thoughtful email from Alec Guettel, one of the co-founders of Axiom...
by Bruce | July 24, 2008 | Articles, Cultural Considerations
"This is [the program] in its best light. But what lies beneath is a pattern of behavior that places law firms at risk. Generally, the improper activities take place out of the spotlight. … [Participants] expressed a sense of feeling powerless about how to...
by Bruce | July 22, 2008 | Articles, Finance, Globalization, Innovative Managing Partners, Leadership, M&A, Practice Group Management, Profiles of Individuals, Strategy
I recently had the chance to sit down with Jay Zimmerman, Chairman of Bingham, to discuss the changes he’s seen over his career, and to talk about the future of the legal industry and Bingham. Herewith a synopsis. Jay (Harvard, Harvard Law) started his career in...
by Bruce | July 21, 2008 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Law Schools
My friend Prof. Bill Henderson of Indiana University School of Law has just published a highly significant column titled "How the ‘Cravath System’ Created the Bi-Modal Distribution." At least one blog ("MoneyLaw") has already deemed it...
by Bruce | July 18, 2008 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
Does it strike you (as it does me) that the noise level surrounding "innovation" in law firms is reaching crescendo proportions? Just in the last few months, I’ve written about Legal OnRamp, Allen & Overy’s mini-conference on innovation here...
by Bruce | July 14, 2008 | Articles, Finance, Practice Group Management
I’ve been increasingly mystified, now bordering on troubled, by a new case of "the dog that didn’t bark." Here’s my question: Given that we’ve been slogging through this subprime/Alt-A/Bear Stearns/Freddie & Fannie...