by Bruce | August 8, 2005 | Articles, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
"Historically there have been too many lawyers being made equity partners." If you had to guess, would you surmise those words come from a major league headhunter at the top of his game? Isn’t that akin to poisoning the pond in which you...
by Bruce | August 4, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Strategy
If "quadrifecta" is a word, then I suppose we have one, although some of the four firms constituting it are, in the immortal words of Orwell’s Animal Farm, "more equal than others." Reed Smith is reported to be eyeing an acquisition of...
by Bruce | July 31, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
The AmLaw 200 (technically, the AmLaw 101—200) is now out and the most important generalization to be offered is that this group is not susceptible to generalizations. On a macro level, the news is good for these firms: Revenue was up year-over-year by 7%,...
by Bruce | July 28, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy, Technology strategy
Should law firms ever be in businesses other than practicing law? And does the answer to that turn on legal ethics, or on microeconomics, or both? The question is no longer academic. In "All in One Law Firms," the Financial Times reports...
by Bruce | July 28, 2005 | Articles, Finance, Marketing, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Among the AmLaw 200, mergers are in the air. Like it or not, this seems to be the reality we are facing: Consolidation. I’ve addressed the "fact" of this trend before (I think it’s safe to say at this point that it’s a...
by Bruce | July 25, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Finance, Just Plain Interesting, Leadership, Strategy
Here are three rankings of top firms, all published this month. Any ideas on which is what? Ranking A Firm Ranking B Firm Ranking C Firm 1 Wachtell 1 Cravath 1 Wachtel 2 Cahill Gordon 2 Wachtel 2 Cravath 3 Sullivan & Cromwell 3 Sullivan & Cromwell 3...