On the surface, at least, it’s the same happy story. New records galore: Gross revenue up 11.4 percent, profits per partner up 13.4 percent, revenue per lawyer up 7.3 percent, which is to say, at a clip exceeding the annual hike in billing rates. Times are so good for the men and women who own Am Law 100 firms that those who snared profits of a mere million dollars were below par: The mean was $1.2 million; the average among firms headquartered in New York, an astonishing $2.05 million.
The gleaming top-line numbers tell only part of the story. Amid the glee, here are three lessons worth considering:
