Legal Demand

Rise in worked rates in 2020 fueled by proportional shifts

There is much evidence that the large law firm market finds itself at a crossroads. Evidence of the approach toward a tipping point was laid…

Joe Blackwood February 08, 2021

PMI hits near-record high in Q4 as law firms show resiliency

Over the course of the global pandemic in 2020, large law firms implemented multiple strategies to address the industry challenges they were experiencing, leading to…

Thomson Reuters Institute February 02, 2021

Growth for midsize law firms in 2021: Where to find new opportunities?

Who would have guessed in March of last year that midsize law firms, indeed law firms of all sizes, would see growth in their profits…

Barb McGivern January 19, 2021

The long road back: Asian law firms are still coping with the devastating impact of the pandemic

Many months into the pandemic, law firms in Asia are still looking for ways to cope with COVID-19 and its impact. While some firms are…

Ranajit Dam January 04, 2021

Year in review: Q2 2020 & the pandemic shutdown

Leading up to the release of the “2021 Report on the State of the Legal Market” on January 12, 2021, we will reexamine the tumultuous…

Joe Blackwood December 23, 2020

A tale of two markets: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, …”

The global pandemic has had a measurable effect on all markets across the globe, and the legal industry has been no exception. While the first…

Joe Blackwood December 21, 2020

Year in review: In Q1 2020, a reversal of fortunes

Leading up to the release of the “2021 Report on the State of the Legal Market” on January 12, 2021, we will reexamine the tumultuous…

Isaac Brooks December 17, 2020

Acritas Asia Pacific Law Firm Brand Index: Amid the pandemic, 2 law firms dominate

Despite the disruption around the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, two powerhouse large law firms — King & Wood Mallesons and Baker McKenzie —…

Thomson Reuters Institute September 08, 2020

Economic upheaval is an opportunity for “reimagining law firms,” panel says

A months-long pandemic, the largest protest movement in U.S. history, an uncertain economic outlook — or in other words, the perfect context in which to…

Peter Neal August 14, 2020

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, legal demand drops in Q2, impacting PMI

The first quarter of 2020 was able to stay strong in the face a COVID-19 pandemic that was still in its infancy in the United…

Thomson Reuters Institute August 10, 2020

Law department procurement: Is buying legal services the same as buying laptops?

For years now, corporate law departments have been asked to work with their companies’ procurement or purchasing departments. Most general counsel (GCs) and chief operating…

Audrey Rubin July 29, 2020

Is the Am Law 200 even a “category?”

This 3-part series was written by Bruce MacEwen and Janet Stanton of Adam Smith, Esq. In our reflections on the release of the 2020 Am…

Thomson Reuters Institute July 27, 2020