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Exclusive law firm financial reporting and rankings. News, trends and analysis of law firm management; leadership profiles, market reports and case studies.
By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | March 19, 2008
A quick glance at a recent job advert for a director of knowledge at a large London firm succinctly demonstrates the main elements of the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and training: "The successful candidate will be expected to develop a comprehensive know-how and training strategy; and to support practice team lawyers through training, know-how and systems for leveraging knowledge." Put another way, the job description envisages an interdependence between the firm's knowledge strategy and its provision of learning and development if both (or either) are to be effective. Indeed, an overarching knowledge strategy can provide the context in which learning and development programmes are designed and run, while training is an essential part of the rollout of knowledge management improvements if they are to be understood and put into practice by fee earners as planned.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | March 12, 2008
The 'battle for talent', irrespective of the industry sector, has never been greater. Employers and partnerships want to keep hold of their best people…
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | March 5, 2008
Streamlining business processes and increasing productivity are fundamental challenges for law firms. Much of lawyer's work is document focused and the effective management of documents improves a firm's profitability. Constant pressure to invoice more hours has reduced cycle times for the processing of documents and many firms are now using electronic document management to make the classification, storage and retrieval of documents more efficient. Additionally, email has become a primary method of communication that needs to be managed alongside other documentation. Globally, stringent anti-money laundering legislation and financial reporting requirements are making regulatory compliance increasingly complex and demanding for organisations. Coupled with this trend of tightening regulatory environment is the drive for greater transparency which is compelling organisations to take a more strategic approach to both content and document management. These trends are increasing the pressure on legal practices to become more organised with their client's data. Effective electronic document management is recognised as a critical part of compliance with regulatory requirements from both a records management perspective and from a security and traceability standpoint.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | March 5, 2008
The day Walfrido Martinez joined Hunton & Williams to open the firm's Miami office in 1999, all he had to do was show up and start working. The firm had in place a receptionist, a head of office services and secretaries ready for him and the four colleagues who moved with him from Holland & Knight. A group of associates had already been flown in from other Hunton offices to work on their matters. The prep work paid off. In his first month Martinez billed 200 hours. "You can't do that if you don't have the resources in line," says Martinez. He hasn't forgotten that early lesson. Now Hunton's firm-wide managing partner, Martinez has tried to continue-and extend Hunton's lateral integration programme. So far, it seems to be working. Of the 28 lateral partners the firm hired in 2005, 25 are still there.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 27, 2008
Although the scramble for top rankings in legal directories is on again, the majority of the UK's legal practices have little to worry about. Being of lesser significance to the legal landscape than their higher-tiered counterparts enables them to escape the grading process of the likes of the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. However, are smaller firms blessed or burdened by the lack of interest from the top legal directories? And, if directories are relevant to the success of legal business per se, can smaller practices ever expect to share in such benefits?
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 20, 2008
The big corporate scandals at Enron and WorldCom have left a legacy that affects virtually every business in the developed world. In the wake of the two cases, the US Government rushed through new legislation in the shape of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (otherwise known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act 2002), which placed strict rules on companies to manage their information in a much more accountable way. And, for the first time, it made senior board members personally responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the figures they reported.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 20, 2008
The last few weeks have seen the global credit crunch bite hard. The volume of M&A and property deals had already fallen during the last quarter of 2007, but now capital for leveraged deals has all but disappeared. The dreaded 'R-Word' is now on everyone's lips. Although most commentators believe that the UK economy is better placed than most, and that this should lead to a 'soft landing', the market for legal services is likely to suffer a downturn in 2008. The amount of litigation may increase, but this is unlikely to offset the fall in deal-related work.So, how should firms respond from a marketing perspective, and what should they be doing to minimise the impact of the predicted economic downturn? The following 10-point plan should provide some of the answers.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | February 6, 2008
Late last year, members of the Commerce and Industry (C&I) Group of leading in-house lawyers spelled out their feelings on legal services billing in a report produced in conjunction with accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward. The report raises some important points. As its title 'Stop the Clock' implies, large numbers of in-house lawyers expressed dissatisfaction with the traditional way that law firms charge for their services - by the hour. Some eight in 10 of the in-house lawyers surveyed said time-based billing provided no incentive for law firms to be quick and efficient and the major perceived problem with this system, says the report, is that billing based on time spent fails to reflect the real value of the work involved, usually to the advantage of the law firm. Consequently, the report claims, the cost of legal services has been rising exponentially at a time when general counsel are under internal pressure to keep their budgets under control.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | January 30, 2008
Cast your mind back a few weeks, if you will, to 2 January, 2008 - the day many of you will have returned to work after the Christmas break.
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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | January 30, 2008
Technology, as IT guru Richard Susskind and others have been telling us for years, has the capacity to transform the way law firms do business, making them leaner, meaner organisations that are better able to respond to client needs and provide the working experience that their employees demand. Yet while efficiency gains have been achieved, many of the fundamentals of legal practice remain much as they have ever been and legal technology has, so far, been deployed primarily to make traditional methods of doing things quicker. After so many false dawns, it is perhaps unsurprising that the combination of the words 'legal' and 'IT' have a glazing effect on the eyes of many law firm managers.
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By Rose Walker | March 21, 2018
Partners vote in James Palmer for second term after challenge from litigator Shillito
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By Rose Walker | March 21, 2018
Co-CEOs Lee Ranson and Mark Wasserman set sights on more Europe and US expansion
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By Ben Wheway | March 21, 2018
Bill Voge's link to the New Canaan Society is under scrutiny following his resignation after "lapses in personal judgment."
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By Scott Flaherty | Gina Passarella Cipriani | March 20, 2018
Bill Voge's resignation shocked most at the firm and in the industry, as the #MeToo movement extends its impact on Big Law.
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By Meredith Hobbs | March 20, 2018
The South Carolina-based firm kept on a growth trajectory during its first year among the Am Law 100.
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By Lizzy McLellan | March 19, 2018
A big decision for any midsize law firm is how to manage their geographic footprint, and the firm identity that goes along with that—stay centralized in one city, go regional, or open a few offices in key markets across the country?
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By Gina Passarella Cipriani | March 19, 2018
As the legal industry clamors for a new model, will the market for spinoffs grow? If so, what goes into starting anew, and what are the hurdles to overcome?
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By Meredith Hobbs | March 19, 2018
The firm expanded its Texas territory with a new office in Houston last year after launching one in Dallas in 2015.
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By David Gialanella | March 19, 2018
The move brings 20 lawyers, including firm founder and former State Bar President Thomas Curtin, to McElroy Deutsch, while another contingent of Graham Curtin lawyers have launched its own firm, Gimigliano, Mauriello & Maloney.
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By Legal Week | March 19, 2018
Energy-focused Freshfields partner Tobias Larisch becomes the latest to join Latham as the firm continues its M&A push.
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The African Legal Awards recognise exceptional achievement within Africa s legal community during a period of rapid change.
The Daily Report is honoring those attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession.
Consulting Magazine identifies consultants that have the biggest impact on their clients, firms and the profession.
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MELICK & PORTER, LLP PROMOTES CONNECTICUT PARTNERS HOLLY ROGERS, STEVEN BANKS, and ALEXANDER AHRENS
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