by Bruce | June 29, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
Behold a thunderclap of common sense. Might our industry be about to introduce the camel’s nose of "merit-based pay" into the tent? Washington-based Howrey (630 lawyers) just announced, as reported on law.com, that they are ditching lockstep...
by Bruce | June 28, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Here on "Adam Smith, Esq." I’ve been writing about the possibility of outside investors in law firms—and even IPO’s of firms—starting in December 2004. For the full roster, see that piece, plus: How to Change Everything/December 2004...
by Bruce | May 26, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
As a manager, how do you balance the imperative of long-term strategic focus with the exigencies of day to day "incoming?" As a practitioner, how do you balance the demands of clients and deals with your well-intended resolutions to be a better...
by Bruce | May 23, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Partnership Structures, Strategy
As noted in the WSJ Law Blog, on law.com’s legal blog watch , and by my good friend Larry Ribstein, the Australian law firm Slater & Gordon, a personal injury specialist firm with 21 branches in the country and over 20,000 clients, became the first...
by Bruce | May 17, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
Dechert was #48 on the AmLaw 2001 and is #24 on the AmLaw 2006. Under the headline, "Dechert Cracks the Code for Am Law 100 Success," The American Lawyer tries to explain how the firm pulled it off. I wish the article were more successful...
by Bruce | May 15, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Partnership Structures
In doing some research about large law firm dissolutions (Brobeck, Coudert, Finley Kumble, Shea & Gould, etc.), I came across a November 15, 1983 article from The New York Times archives entitled "Business and the Law: Fall in Income at Big Firms." Join...
