by Bruce | March 14, 2006 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
When it comes to law firm financial performance, there’s a fatalistic school of thought which more or less adopts the following position: "Profitability all depends on matters outside the firm’s immediate control, starting with the basics such...
by Bruce | March 11, 2006 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Practice Group Management, Strategy, Technology strategy
In 2004 James Surowiecki, a business columnist with The New Yorker, published the well-received The Wisdom of Crowds, which explored (and celebrated) the phenomenon of "collective intelligence," whereby the consensus forecast of a number of lay people was...
by Bruce | March 9, 2006 | Articles, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Group Management
A reader (partner in an AmLaw 10 firm) writes: "Most businesses know their leading indicators of sales. For example, if the company increases the number of sales calls in January, there will be more sales in April. "Has anyone analyzed empirically what the...
by Bruce | March 8, 2006 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
Azim Premji, who created Wipro, is the wealthiest man in India. A few nights ago he was interviewed on the "Charlie Rose" show and to listen to him even for a few moments was to understand how Wipro came to have one of the most distinctive—and...
by Bruce | March 7, 2006 | Articles, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Group Management, Strategy
I’ve long believed that marketing is harder than it looks, and for those of you reading this who are marketing professionals, suffice to say you have my deepest sympathy, respect, and affection. (Readers who know me personally also know that...
by Bruce | March 6, 2006 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Strategy
It’s official, according to The Lawyer: For Skadden and six other firms, 2005 was indeed, as Skadden’s New York-based M&A partner Tom Kennedy put it, "a very good year." For the first time ever, seven US firms topped $1.0-billion...