Practice Management

The Delicate Relationship between Firm Leader and COO

The team of a Firm Leader and a Chief Operating Officer (COO) is two people who have been forced to work together—rather than having chosen…

Patrick J. McKenna February 05, 2015

RULES of Law Firm Profitability, Part 1

Law firms of all sizes are constantly trying to fine-tune the basic levers of profitability, which are commonly referred to as RULES: Rates Utilization (high…

John M. Westcott, Jr. February 04, 2015

Law Firm Leaders Will Face Challenge of Moving Firms into Shifting Future

This week, I want to share some suggestions on law firm leadership. I do so because I believe leadership, or the absence of it, will…

Ralph Baxter February 03, 2015

Recent LEI Forum Shows Value of Marketing Team & Need for Firm Collaboration and Engagement

Last week, I participated in Thomson Reuters’ Legal Executive Institute’s 22nd Annual Law Firm Marketing Partner Forum at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes,…

Ralph Baxter January 28, 2015

Marketing Partner Forum Wrap-up: Law Firms’ Marketing & Business Development Efforts Face Pressure, Even as Importance Grows

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF.—Law firms’ marketing and business development efforts are becoming more important in today’s competitive legal marketplace even as pressure mount for these…

Gregg Wirth January 27, 2015

Law Firm Profitability: It’s All in How You Count It

As many are probably aware, Congress has, for some time, been tinkering with the idea of tweaking the tax code to change the way law…

Bill Josten January 26, 2015

Beyond People, Value & Clients: Elements for a Successful Law Firm

All who knew him were saddened when Don Robinson, a legendary New York lawyer and law firm leader, passed away last June at the age…

Ralph Baxter January 20, 2015

Marketing Partner Forum Preview: Collaboration within Firms is Vital

In today’s crowded and hyper-competitive legal landscape, it may be more important than ever to establish and promote a brand that breaks through the noise…

Gregg Wirth January 15, 2015

Better Day-to-Day Leadership through Facilitated Multi-Generational Team Dialogues

The workplace cultures most desired by sought after talent are mobile, flexible, agile, and engaged. We’re going to see more frequent leadership changes at various…

Phyllis Weiss Haserot January 07, 2015

Creating Clients from Scratch

My favorite moniker for today’s changing legal environment was coined by my colleague David Curle when he dubbed it "The Betty Crocker Era in Legal…

Bill Josten December 17, 2014

Not Everything Is Going to Change

Most discussion of the future of law (including my blog posts) focuses on how different things will be. That’s appropriate. We need to understand the…

Ralph Baxter December 11, 2014

On the Growing Share of Legal Spend that’s NOT Going to Law Firms

Altman Weil’s recent Chief Legal Officer Survey provides new evidence of clients’ increasing market power and the availability of alternative sources of legal services. The…

David Curle December 10, 2014