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 27, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Actually, this post is less about hockey players and associates than it is about how the top firms are all able to mysteriously agree on the "going rate" ($125,000 for first year’s) without colluding, and on the dynamics behind the scenes when that...
by Bruce | September 22, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
A radical repudiation of a time-tested model or a long overdue dose of sanity? One imagines those are the reactions to Allen & Overy’s revealing that it’s considering a third career path for associates, neither "up" nor "out," but...
by Bruce | September 17, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
The Lawyer (UK) is one of those publications you ignore to your impoverishment: Somewhat like the role the Financial Times has vis-a-vis The Wall Street Journal, or The Economist vis-a-vis Business Week, The Lawyer provides a refreshing, candid, often cheeky,...
by Bruce | September 1, 2005 | Articles, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
The American Lawyer’s "A-List" is out, and I’ll have something to say about it in the next day or two. (The A-List, I probably needn’t remind you, ranks firms not by revenue, size, or profitability, but by a combination of (a) revenue...
by Bruce | August 18, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
We note with great sadness the passing of a 150+ year old firm, a pioneer on the international scene in ways many are still trying to emulate. (Also here.) The firm’s demise strikes me as exceedingly unnecessary—given the long perspective—but...