Law Firm Management

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By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | July 4, 2007

Joyce Legal is a niche law firm specialising in litigation and construction law. To tie in with a new guide it had written on construction design regulations, the firm wanted to put on a series of seminars for the construction industry. With a two-week lead time to produce a printed flier and a three-week lead time to arrange for inserts in a leading industry publication, the quickest and most cost-effective way of promoting the events was by email. Target companies received a downloadable copy of the booking form and were returning bookings before a postal invitation would have hit their desks.

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Management: Pregnant and redundant

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 27, 2007

There is a perception among senior management in some City law firms that female lawyers who take time off work to have a family are no longer ambitious or committed to their careers. Some female lawyers in their thirties hold off starting a family, in the hope that they will be promoted to a partnership position first.

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Tech tonic

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 20, 2007

It is a sign of the times that many of the issues legal IT professionals are grappling with are the same issues that are affecting lawyers. Whereas IT may have previously been viewed by fee earners as a back-office function, the strategic goals of IT and legal professionals have since become rather more entwined; both sides have a greater awareness of each other's role within the firm. In the words of Allen & Overy (A&O) managing partner David Morley: "pretty much everything we are doing now has a technology angle, but it is not always obvious."

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Prepare for the worst

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 20, 2007

Few law firm managers would place contingency planning at the top of their management agenda given the current economic climate. However, a number of factors suggest that the tide might be turning and less prosperous times could be on the horizon. It is therefore vital for firms to plan now for any future downturn to ensure they are in a strong position to ride out the storm.

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Brave new world

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 20, 2007

When it becomes law, the Legal Services Bill (LSB) will be a watershed moment for the legal industry. The legislation, which is currently with the House of Lords, promises to fundamentally alter the shape of the UK legal market. Firms of all sizes, and in particular the small to medium-sized section of the industry, need to be aware of the upheaval that is about to take place and get ready now.

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Fit for purpose

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 13, 2007

Mergers and acquisitions have always been big business opportunities for law firms, but now it seems that legal businesses are turning this attention on themselves. The drive towards creating a more corporate profession has led to a boom in law firm mergers, resulting in the creation of ever-larger practices. Recent announcements, such as Irwin Mitchell's plans to merge with Scots firm Golds to form a 1,200 fee earner superfirm, or south Yorkshire's Atteys' decision to join forces with local rival Richmonds, show that many believe big is beautiful.

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Corporate Counsel: More than just a lawyer

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 6, 2007

If you are going to be a successful in-house lawyer you have to see yourself as something different. Different from what, or from whom, you may well ask? The simple answer is that you have to see yourselves as business legal partners; not aloof or separate from the business that you work for but as an integral part of it - and that means having a different set of skills from lawyers in private practice.

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Corporate Counsel: Lead from the front

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 6, 2007

Early on in my new role, I asked our chief executive officer (CEO) what he saw as my number one priority. His response was: "The primary role of a leader is to attract truly great people and then develop the hell out of them. As a leader, the general counsel should be no exception."

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Law In Business: Management: Reflections for the future

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | June 6, 2007

The beginning of May marked the 10th anniversary of the merger that created CMS Cameron McKenna; or to be more accurate, Cameron McKenna - the CMS part came two years later, with the founding of the CMS alliance. May 1997 was also the month that the Labour Government came to power. This end of an era has encouraged politicians and commentators to reflect over the past 10 years and there is feverish speculation about what a Gordon Brown administration will achieve.

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Networks: Opportunity knocks

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | May 30, 2007

The rapid emergence of a new wave of highly-coveted emerging markets is providing contrasting challenges to the latest law firm networks. Ed Thornton reports

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Pro Mid Market

Ignoring the Future Can Cost a Firm Talent and Clients Today

By Zack Needles | March 2, 2018

It doesn't—or at least it shouldn't—take an army of business consultants to explain why law firms lacking succession plans are probably headed…

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Pro Mid Market

Mid-Market Recap: Using Bankruptcy to Break in to the Big Apple

By Hank Grezlak | March 2, 2018

   As discussed in this column just a few weeks ago, New York City would seem a daunting and unforgiving market for anyone to want to…

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The American Lawyer

Can We Bring Back the Hotties of Law?

By Vivia Chen | March 2, 2018

We're entering a puritanical era. Mention someone's looks, attractiveness or sex appeal, and people accuse you of sexism, lookism or some other "ism."

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The American Lawyer

Jenner Revenue Slips, Profits Fall Amid Investments in Talent

By Roy Strom | March 2, 2018

Revenue dipped about 2 percent at the litigation powerhouse last year, while profits per partner tumbled nearly 20 percent.

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The American Lawyer

The Millennial Who Is Now Running an NLJ 500 Firm

By Ben Seal | March 2, 2018

At 36, James Goodnow is taking the reins of Fennemore Craig, with an eye toward technology and innovation.

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Daily Report Online

Arrive Early to Eat That Frog

By Robin Hensley | March 2, 2018

What needs to get done in the first hour Monday morning to make the week go well? What chore is in the "critical path" for the firm this week?

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New York Law Journal

Shearman Sees Profits Rise as Revenue Stays Steady

By Christine Simmons | March 1, 2018

Shearman & Sterling boosted partner profits by 7 percent while barely eking out revenue gains last year.

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The American Lawyer

Out of Focus: Lawyers and Firms Can No Longer Ignore Dementia

By Christine Simmons | March 1, 2018

As a rising tide of Alzheimer's and other dementia diagnoses grips aging law firm partnerships, neither firms nor their lawyers have learned how to cope.

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International

DLA Piper's Former France Managing Partner Quits to Launch M&A Boutique

By James Booth | March 1, 2018

Michel Frieh, whose former firm merged with DLA Piper in 2012, spent five years as DLA Piper's country managing partner for France.

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National Law Journal

Arnold & Porter Sees Progress on Revenue, Profits After Kaye Scholer Deal

By Ryan Lovelace | March 1, 2018

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer moved the needle on key financial metrics in its first post-merger year, but the firm said it has its eye on long-term growth.

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