by Bruce | February 3, 2005 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Group Management, Strategy
One of the most promising and optimistic pieces I’ve read in awhile comes courtesy of John Smock, co-founder of Smock Sterling Strategic Management Consultants outside Chicago. Essentially a look-back at his twenty years of experience being a strategic...
by Bruce | January 27, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
Building a genuinely trusting, collaborative, integrated culture—where one does not exist—is among the tallest of orders that a firm can face. Since control over clients is such a key source of power, client-hogging and the individualistic behavior...
by Bruce | January 10, 2005 | Articles, Globalization, Knowledge Management, Leadership, Practice Group Management, Strategy
If you believe that the merger wave is far from cresting and that the future promises a landscape of perhaps two or three dozen truly international mega-firms with revenues north of $1-billion/year—but you’re currently at less than half that...
by Bruce | January 4, 2005 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
In a happy confluence, two articles which are far stronger together than is either alone were pointed out to me today by two loyal readers. The first is The American Lawyer’s current "Management" column, about Customer Relationship Management...
by Bruce | December 30, 2004 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Group Management, Strategy
A theme I want to develop, and which I’ve alluded to before, is the impact that "Practice Group Management" can have on a firm’s strategy, cohesiveness, and profitability. What is "practice group management," in a nutshell? ...
by Bruce | December 8, 2004 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Practice Group Management, Strategy
Perhaps the single most challenging question to answer cogently—from both the economic and intellectual perspectives—is what can law firm managers actually do to increase profitability? You imagine rightly, dear reader, that I have sacrificed...