by Bruce | June 3, 2019 | Articles, Business Models, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Partnership Structures, Strategy
We have never subscribed to the belief that law firms operate in a fundamentally undifferentiated industry—that each law firm competes with every other law firm—and that given the magic alignment of expertise, cost, and personal rapport, clients’ choice of law firms...
by Bruce | August 14, 2018 | Articles, Branding, Business Models, Client Relationships, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy, Technology strategy
We often ask law firms, “Who’s your competition?” The single most frequent response we get is, “Well, no one, really.” This is delusion on stilts. Every business, I would venture to extend that to any human organization, has competition,...
by Bruce | August 29, 2017 | About the Site, Articles, Globalization, Latin America, Marketing
In its latest issue, Dinero, Colombia’s most important business magazine, published an interview with our Bogotá-based Director, Antonio Leal Holguín. The interview is part of a special edition on law firms, which the magazine publishes once a year. The special...
by Bruce | August 14, 2017 | Articles, Branding, Business Models, Client Relationships, Marketing, Strategy
The following guest column is by Richard Hinwood, based in London. Richard is the Head of Strategy & Chief of Staff at Withers. As Head of Strategy, Richard leads the formulation and implementation of firm-wide strategy and business planning across the...
by Bruce | July 17, 2017 | Articles, Branding, Client Relationships, Marketing
A parable of client service in four acts. The wireless providers’ market in the US (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) has achieved saturation. Subject to rounding errors, every American from age 10 to age 90 has a smartphone. Among the providers, it’s a...
by Bruce | May 12, 2017 | Articles, Business Models, Globalization, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy, Technology strategy
One may fervently hope that regular readers have come to expect certain recurring customs here at Adam Smith, Esq., and today we honor that expectation with our usual “Letter from _____,” when we’ve just returned from a significant trip and have some...