by Bruce | April 27, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Knowledge Management, Leadership, Practice Group Management, Strategy
Could it be that "great teams are less productive?" That’s the headline that got my attention over at Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge. As it turns out, there is understandable tension between "learning" and...
by Bruce | April 24, 2007 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Regular readers know that I’ve written periodically about the so-called "Clementi" reforms scheduled to take effect next year in the UK which would permit public ownership of, and investment in, law firms, as well as permitting diversified...
by Bruce | April 20, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Nobody likes to be the weatherman when the forecast is for wind-driven freezing rain, and far be it from me to aspire to that dour post. But based on some indicators such as the Hildebrandt/Citigroup Private Bank March 2007 Client Advisory, which reports that...
by Bruce | April 17, 2007 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Innovative Managing Partners, Leadership, M&A, Partnership Structures, Profiles of Individuals, Strategy
In 1999, Reed Smith’s 610 lawyers generated $168-million in revenue, from 14 offices in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. At the start of 2007, its 1,500 lawyers are on track to do $900-million in revenue, from 21 offices across the US from California to...
by Bruce | April 16, 2007 | Articles, Innovative Managing Partners, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
I just learned the results of a survey distributed last month by Edge International asking law firm leaders two fascinating questions: Which law firm Managing Partner/Chair/CEO do you admire most for their leadership? [Outside your own firm.] Why does that individual...
by Bruce | April 13, 2007 | Articles, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Strategy
The 2006 AmLaw 100 is coming out May 1, and in anticipation of that I’d like to discuss how hard it is to achieve, and sustain, superior performance. Fortunately, I have the crutch of McKinsey studying precisely this question, at least as it relates to the...