by Bruce | July 25, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Practice Group Management
But enough about Gen X and Gen Y. As urgent as the issues of associate retention can be, with the human costs and the financial repercussions front and center, it’s time to focus on the other end of the generational spectrum: Partners nearing...
by Bruce | July 20, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy, Technology strategy
We conclude our three-part history of Allen & Overy with the years 1998—2007, the decade surrounding the turn of our current century. These years are, for my money, primarily the story of A&O’s investments in internationalization bearing...
by Bruce | July 17, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
When we left Allen & Overy in June 1971, Jim Thomson had just died. "He, more than any one other single individual, represented Allen & Overy; in the minds of many people in the City, clients and competitors alike, Jim Thomson was Allen &...
by Bruce | July 14, 2007 | Articles, Book Reviews, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
A couple of weeks ago, the two volume history of the firm of Allen & Overy arrived FedEx from Europe. I had just recently learned that the books existed, and the firm was kind enough to send me them when I expressed interest. When they arrived, they...
by Bruce | July 10, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Innovative Managing Partners, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy, Technology strategy
The FT is out with its second annual "Innovative Lawyers" Survey and much has changed since I reported on the original survey a year ago. Primarily, the survey is far more ambitious in scope this year: "The 2006 report covered only UK lawyers...
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...