by Bruce | February 20, 2005 | About the Site, Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Just Plain Interesting
So this has nothing to do with the economics of law firms, but it has a lot to do with professional behavior under incentive regimes. Two economists at the University of Chicago have published a paper analyzing whether realtors (representing the seller of a...
by Bruce | February 15, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, M&A, Strategy
Am I the only one being driven to the conclusion that the ethics and jurisprudence surrounding "conflicts" are insane? After reading about the tortured machinations firms go through as part of their pre- and post-merger due diligence, it’s clear...
by Bruce | February 14, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Marketing, Strategy
I’ve reviewed the merits of the Pillsbury-Winthrop/Shaw Pittman merger before, but now I want to ask a different question: What if anything does this portend for the merger/consolidation trend in general? If you believe Hildebrandt’s annual...
by Bruce | February 10, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
From the wires, and I quote: "Altman Weil is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with London-based Jomati Limited. Like Altman Weil, Jomati is an independently owned global management consultancy advising law firms and corporate law departments. It is led by...
by Bruce | February 7, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Even the reader acquainted only at the most cursory level with my perspective on the increasingly professionalized management of law firms would know I endorse that trend wholeheartedly. The question du jour is whether I endorse it without reservation. Prompting...
by Bruce | February 4, 2005 | Articles, Finance, Leadership, M&A, Marketing, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Roughly speaking, there are two theories of history: That people shape events, or that events shape people. As a confirmed subscriber to the former theory, this American Lawyer profile of Bingham-McCutchen’s chair, Jay Zimmerman, tells the tale to me of...