by Bruce | June 2, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
A regular reader (partner at an AmLaw 25 firm and, coincidentally, a fellow Princetonian) writes: "You write about lockstep and eat-what-you-kill, but you don’t say a word about “completely black box” compensation. There are some firms in which...
by Bruce | May 30, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
An "evergreen" topic here at "Adam Smith, Esq.," because one despairs to find a durable equilibrium solution for it, is the perennial debate over "eat what you kill" (EWYK) vs. lockstep compensation systems. Each has its place in the...
by Bruce | May 20, 2006 | Articles, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
When I began practicing in New York in the early 1980’s there were still vestiges of the "white shoe"/Jewish law firm divide; indeed, Breed, Abbott & Morgan, where I started, and Shea & Gould, where I also worked, were almost caricatures of...
by Bruce | May 19, 2006 | Articles, Leadership, Strategy, Technology strategy
I’m pleased to report that I’ll be attending Interwoven’s annual "Legal IT Leadership Summit" this coming Monday through Thursday, May 22—25, at the Ritz Carlton/Bachelor Gulch, as Interwoven’s guest, which is extremely gracious...
by Bruce | May 19, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Cultural Considerations, Finance, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Strategy
I recently had the chance to interview Chris Marston, founder and CEO of Exemplar Law Partners, LLC, based in Boston, which has been open for business for all of about 90 days. To say that Chris is embarked on an ambitious attempt to rethink the practice of law,...
by Bruce | May 17, 2006 | Articles, Compensation, Finance, Globalization, Leadership, Partnership Structures, Practice Group Management, Strategy
A loyal reader who has also become a friend writes that he has just re-read The American Lawyer’s lead story on the AmLaw 100 for 2006 and he has some questions (emphasis supplied): "Maybe I’m missing something, but the analysis seems flawed to me...