by Bruce | October 14, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Does your firm enjoy effective teamwork at the top? Is the Executive Committee [insert other supreme governing body here] a "high-functioning" group, that is, does it: embody a common set of goals and values?; interact well—productively,...
by Bruce | October 13, 2005 | About the Site, Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Strategy
Introducing a new feature here on "Adam Smith, Esq.:" Our Weekly Poll. Just scroll down the right-hand column a little ways and you’ll find it. With luck, I’ll come up with something thoughtful, intriguing, or just plain whimsical to...
by Bruce | October 11, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
With this year’s award of "The Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel," a/k/a the Nobel Prize in economics, to two masters of game theory, a brief recap of what game theory is and what it means for managers contemplating...
by Bruce | October 6, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Strategy
Mergers are here to stay. If you believe that (I do), then it’s worth a moment to explore how to do them right, and what can be learned from this who have gone before—most famously, perhaps, the 2000 tie-up of Clifford-Chance and Rogers & Wells. ...
by Bruce | October 4, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
The American Lawyer’s annual associate (dis)satisfaction survey is now echoed across the pond, as Allen & Overy reveals its associate ranks suffered a 25% attrition rate last year and, in response, it’s accelerating its exploration of an alternative...
by Bruce | October 2, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
Juxtaposition can be deadly. Something which, viewed in isolation, seems explainable or understandable, can, placed next to its drastic opposite, seem utterly obtuse and even mildly absurd. So this weekend we have The American Lawyer’s release of its...