LAS VEGAS—The legal services industry has an age problem. That general impression, more than any specific technology trends or exciting new products, is my primary takeaway from last week’s ILTACON in Las Vegas, the annual meeting of the International Legal…
This is the first post in a series of blog posts by Burkey Belser and Joe Walsh, examining the question of whether the “Best-of-Breed” branding and web strategy is the best choice for large law firms. In this installment, the…
Culture is a hotter topic than ever, especially for business organizations. It should be an important concern—and what we see is not all good news. According to a Deloitte study across many industries, only 12% of employees think their organization…
Forum spoke with Jami Wintz McKeon, chair of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, about what clients want, breaking the glass ceiling and keeping focused while moving ahead. After 34 years with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Jami Wintz McKeon now has a…
As I wrote last week, law firms are increasingly adopting profitability measures, a positive development for the firms, their people, and their clients. In this post I will address five issues that are critical to making the most of profitability…
An increasingly competitive market filled with cost pressures, commoditization and change has made for an interesting year for midsize law firms as they navigate through these murky waters. Indeed, even as other segments of the legal marketplace struggle, midsized firms…
I’ve wanted to serve on a public board for many years, but the timing was never right. Finally, as I planned to rewire (not retire!), my time for board service had come. I thought that after a long career in…
“We can, and should, do better.” This comment, by Ahmed Davis, the national chair of Fish & Richardson’s diversity initiative, highlights the continuing challenges of the corporate legal profession’s attempts to increase diversity through its ranks. Davis was one of…
EAGAN, Minn.—The Peer Monitor Economic Index (PMI), which measures the relative health of the legal marketplace, was unchanged for the second consecutive quarter, holding steady at 54. Slightly higher demand was offset by weak rate growth and falling productivity. The…
For many years, formal pro bono programs were the bailiwick of attorneys in private practice. In-house counsel volunteered on their own, but not until the 1980s and 1990s did legal departments launch formal pro bono programs. Even then, there were…
The American Lawyer magazine announced its annual “A-List” this week, recognizing 20 American law firms which it calls the “new elite.” It is interesting to see which firms make the list each year and how they rank. What really makes…
In a legal market that’s demanding more and more of law firms, sometimes the most important question is, “Where to Start?” In the UK, the recent Looking Glass Report 2015 provides at least a partial answer for UK law firms.…