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 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...
by Bruce | September 30, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Most would agree that one of the most difficult things to get lawyers to do is to change, and that changing a law firm itself is an order of magnitude more difficult. Many managing partners I know, some of whom arrived on the scene of "a burning...
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 25, 2005 | Articles, Globalization, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy
Our text this morning is the two-part cover story of this weekend’s Barron’s, on the creation, rise, and dominance of Lexus in the luxury auto market. And I select it not because Lexus ownership surely over-indexes among readers of "Adam Smith,...
by Bruce | September 8, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, M&A, Strategy
The Lawyer is out with their annual "UK 100" (for 2005), and it shows that while the Magic Circle is pulling away ("going galactic," as they gaily put it), the interesting action is in what they newly dub the "Silver Circle," or the...
