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Sustaining the Ethical Law Firm

By William C. Cobb
January 31, 2008

Ethics have been and will be an integral part of law firm and corporate governance. The leadership sets the tone from the top down, basing it on the firm's culture and values. This article discusses the key issues in establishing and maintaining a culture of ethical behavior through governance, leadership, and strategic direction.

What Is Governance?

Governance is a reflection of strategic direction, vision, and purpose of a firm. It sets the tone for leadership with transparency and accountability. Transparency requires information, and that information must be able to measure leading and lagging indicators of performance. A McKinsey Quarterly Report dated April 2005 on transforming company values reported leadership development jumped from nothing to 34% of the respondents, corporate growth went from 29% to 31%, and empire building and bureaucracy dropped off the list after sessions on culture and value based on ethical behavior. A constructive and collaborative culture is critical to a law firm's success.

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