by Bruce | June 19, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, M&A, Partnership Structures, Strategy
When the Financial Times speaks, people listen, so try this on for size: "The old model of partnership between lawyers alone has its drawbacks for large law firms, which are complex businesses – the biggest are multinationals in their own right. Yet...
by Bruce | June 16, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures
Cue the applause, please: Albeit somewhat cryptic, this strongly suggests Clifford Chance is making a concerted effort to return to something much closer to its traditional lockstep partner compensation model. Called "actively managed"...
by Bruce | June 13, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
The first post-Clementi shoe is about to drop in the UK, and it’s a fascinating one indeed. [For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, the "Clementi Commission" proposed fundamental reforms of the way UK law firms are governed,...
by Bruce | June 2, 2005 | About the Site, Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Knowledge Management, Leadership, M&A, Marketing, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Technology strategy
The long-awaited results (speaking for myself, at least) of the famous first-ever "Adam Smith, Esq." Reader Survey are now in, and I hasten to share them with you, dear reader, as audience participation was extremely strong, and gratifying. My...
by Bruce | May 23, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Globalization, Knowledge Management, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy, Technology strategy
Professor Carley, as well as a frequent correspondent who I will identify only as the director of KM at an AmLaw 100 firm, have come through. First, Professor Carley provided a working paper on the Enron email database, and told me that under the auspices of her...
by Bruce | May 17, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
Are lawyers suffering "arrested development," as the cheeky title of a dead-serious article has it at Legal Week? Professional development is one of the pantheon of gods whose worship is most often honored in the breach, or else by procrustean...