by Bruce | October 14, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Does your firm enjoy effective teamwork at the top? Is the Executive Committee [insert other supreme governing body here] a "high-functioning" group, that is, does it: embody a common set of goals and values?; interact well—productively,...
by Bruce | October 4, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
The American Lawyer’s annual associate (dis)satisfaction survey is now echoed across the pond, as Allen & Overy reveals its associate ranks suffered a 25% attrition rate last year and, in response, it’s accelerating its exploration of an alternative...
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 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...
