by Bruce | June 18, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Group Management, Strategy
I’ve been friends with the folks at the London-based "Managing Partners’ Forum" for a couple of years, and tomorrow morning I’ll be speaking at their event, "Managing Clients Across Borders," here at Clifford Chance’s...
by Bruce | June 16, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Marking the 10th anniversary of the merger that created CMS Cameron McKenna, Managing Partner Dick Tyler has a piece in Legal Week reflecting on the past 10 years and the future. As he describes his goal for the article: "What has the profession as a whole...
by Bruce | June 12, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
From an interview in The New York Times on June 9 with Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE: "At one point in our conversation, I asked Immelt how he balanced the need to be building consensus with the need to make a firm decision and, in effect, show who’s boss. It...
by Bruce | June 9, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
(1) "Our firm is only as good as our lawyers." (2) "Our lawyers are our most valuable asset." (3) "Associate attrition is costing us a fortune." (4) "Why do so many women drop off the partnership track?" If all these statements...
by Bruce | June 2, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Strategy, Technology strategy
I’ve been following the CIO 100 awards for several years—they’re just out—and I’ve never seen so many law firms represented as this year. To wit: Bryan Cave Foley & Lardner Goodwin Procter King & Spalding, and K&L Gates...
by Bruce | May 30, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
The most important factors in recruiting laterals are: (a) that they have a sizable, portable book of business; and (b) that they can start generating revenue from that book almost immediately after coming on board your firm. Right? Wrong, and wrong. I’ve...