November 9, 2023 by Mike White
Since law firms became professionally managed businesses, the profit-generating flywheel of firms has kicked into higher gear. While correlation does not equal causation, law firm financial performance is exceeding all 12‑15‑year‑old expectations of market watchers. With so much financial success in the rearview mirror, how do ambitious firms capture new...
November 9, 2023 by Leon Sacks
Perhaps second only to brand and reputation, partners represent a law firm’s most valuable asset.
November 9, 2023 by Jordan Furlong
The role of the law firm associate has never looked more tenuous than it does now. It’s threatened from one direction by law firms’ fixation on hiring lateral partners, and from the other by the implications of Generative AI’s rapid advance into law firm workflow.
November 9, 2023 by Keith Ecker
This is the year of ChatGPT. The large language model‑based chatbot now boasts more than 100 million users, and that number likely will continue to increase. Already the technology has become a major disruptor in various areas of life, from education, where schools are debating how to draft policies dictating students’ use of the technology, to Hollywood, where writers continue to strike in part due to the looming threat that AI poses to their jobs.
April 20, 2023 by Mike White
The biggest chokepoint in law firms these days is the inability to align most lawyers – particularly younger lawyers – around behaviors that keep their firm most healthy. I am often asked, “This remote/hybrid work model is shielding our people from the collective ambition and shared expectations that are the mother’s milk of firm success. How do we motivate our lawyers to really extend themselves for our firm, and what should those contributions look like?”
April 20, 2023 by Heather Gray-Grant
While I help law firms deal with a myriad of issues, the top focus of my consulting advice in 2022 had to be associate churn. So, here is a two‑part post on this issue. First, I want to speak to associates who are considering leaving their firm. Next, I will speak to law firms about how to create conditions that will lessen associate temptations to leave.
April 20, 2023 by Jordan Furlong
Some people think large language models will transform the practice of law. I think it's bigger than that.
April 20, 2023 by Carlos Arcos
I recently received a request from a client to promote a recent litigation success for their firm by getting the victory placed in the news. But by the time I received the information, the victory was days, if not weeks, old.
April 20, 2023 by Carlos Arcos, Jordan Furlong, Heather Gray-Grant, Mike White
Now more than ever, law firms must continually reevaluate how they operate. With this in mind, our new Lawyers Alert examines a variety of relevant topics, including how to effectively incorporate your firm’s litigation successes as part of your overall marketing strategy, the impact of large language models (such as ChatGPT4) on the legal sector, ways in which firms can reduce associate churn and fostering a culture that motivates lawyers to truly perform at their best. We encourage you to review these feature articles, as they offer sharp insight and actionable advice to give your firm an edge.
November 17, 2022 by Mike White
So, what am I hearing these days from firm leaders? It’s something along the lines of, “We have no trouble finding demand for our services—all practice groups are maxed out and then some! We are having trouble attracting, recruiting and retaining the right lawyers we need to do the client work. Over time, of course, we know the inverse will be true, but how do we deal with the here and now?”
November 17, 2022 by Gerry Riskin
In situations involving you and your client, the adversarial system is your worst enemy. The only win is a long-term client relationship that is sustainable, and a short-term victory gained by your legal swordsmanship almost guarantees a failure on that score.
November 17, 2022 by Kristen Dallman
As the fight for talent rages on, law firms are looking for new and different ways to attract and retain employees. In this highly competitive marketplace, the name of the game is differentiation.
November 17, 2022 by Jordan Furlong
When your average baseball fan goes to a ballgame these days, invariably they grumble about the expense—$50 tickets, $15 beers, $9 hot dogs, and so forth. “It’s those greedy players,” they complain to the fan in the next seat, “They make millions of dollars, so the club has to charge high prices for everything. They should be grateful just to have a job in this economy.”
November 17, 2022 by Jordan Furlong, Kristen Dallman, Gerry Riskin, Mike White
In today’s legal landscape, firms must continually consider and evaluate how they operate. A big part of this is being ready to address and adapt to new circumstances and challenges. With this in mind, our latest Lawyers Alert examines a variety of relevant topics, including the true economics of associates’ compensation, optimizing your firm’s strength in attracting top talent and how to effectively – and tactfully – manage client expectations. We invite you to review the feature articles below, as they offer valuable perspective, insight and commentary.
May 12, 2022 by Rebecca Wenglinski
Any attorney looking to build a book of business needs business development. However, networking and speaking engagements do not fit everyone’s personality.
May 12, 2022 by Jordan Furlong
I want you to concentrate. Cast your mind back. Try to recall what life was like in the Before Times. Do you remember … The Commute?
May 12, 2022 by David Cruickshank
The talent market for associate lawyers is red‑hot. We are seeing record departures and stories of signing bonuses for second‑year associates and clerks.
May 12, 2022 by Lisa Altman
Working with journalists gives attorneys the opportunity to provide accurate and informative updates about the latest issues and trends affecting the legal community.
November 11, 2021 by Randy Labuzinski
How many times over the past 12 to 24 months have you clicked to read an online story or mention of your law firm or firm’s attorneys, only to be blocked by the dreaded subscription paywall? Where once you could freely roam the online pages of a newspaper or magazine, now you either have limited access to content or must pay a fee to read everything on a site. And the trend is only going to spread.
November 2, 2021 by Mike White
I am amazed by how many managing partners and firm practice group leaders tell me, “Mike, we’re having trouble recruiting a homogenous, non-diverse stable of lawyers; we want to grow our numbers but we can’t seem to break the cycle of onboarding lawyers who all look very different from each other and represent different life experiences, ethnicities, geographies and genders. Can you help us address this human capital challenge?”