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 | September 28, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
This being an equal opportunity blog in terms of eligibility for criticism or praise, today I offer a heartfelt endorsement of what Clifford Chance is doing right—and add that other firms aspiring to a truly sophisticated approach to their strategic...
by Bruce | September 27, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Actually, this post is less about hockey players and associates than it is about how the top firms are all able to mysteriously agree on the "going rate" ($125,000 for first year’s) without colluding, and on the dynamics behind the scenes when that...