In the 1990s, law firms, particularly large ones, looked forward to the litigation bonus that would promise increased margins of profit as the result of the multitude of problems that Y2K would bring with the beginning of 2000. What, in fact, did happen in 2000?

Y2K, commonly used to refer to a widespread computer programming shortcut, was expected to cause havoc at the year change from 1999 to 2000. Computer experts and financial analysts feared that the switch from the two-digit year, 99 to 00, would affect infrastructure ranging from airline reservations to financial databases to government systems. In fact, not much happened. While there were a few minor issues once 2000 arrived, there were no massive malfunctions that would result in claims and spur massive litigation. The litigation bonus never happened. Disappointment was palpable in many “big law” firms at the loss of Y2K’s anticipated bonanza.