Features

Read This Before You Set Your 2018 Billing Rates
Setting the next year's billing rates follows a simple formula at most firms: last year's rate plus a common percentage increase across all lawyer cohorts. A more disaggregated approach is needed -- firms should set higher percentage increases for senior lawyers and lower increases for junior lawyers.
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The Administrative Services Hat Trick
At the ALA annual conference in Denver, I was speaking on how law firms could provide better administrative support for their attorneys and how alternative strategies were being deployed by some law firms to achieve those goals. After my session, the discussion continued with a group of participants and the hat trick metaphor was born.
Features

Law Firms, Partners Await Answers on Trump Tax Plan
Will big law firms and their partners benefit from the new Republican tax plan promoted by President Donald Trump? Not necessarily, according to tax experts who say some gains may be eroded by loss of crucial deductions.
Features

What Do Practice Group Leaders Really Do?
<b><i>Part Two of a Two-Part Article</i></b><p>Last month, the author discussed the fact that even though managing partners recognize the importance of developing and implementing sound principles of practice management, the extent to which the concept is successfully implemented varies greatly from firm to firm. He concludes his discussion herein.
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Are Law Firms Charging Less or Just Making Less?
In a market where clients are struggling to deliver more legal services for less cost (the challenge), RichardSusskind says a law firm may be tempted to undercut its competition on price in hopes of winning more work. But is it actually happening?
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Cyber Disaster Recovery
<b><i>How to Take a Law Firm Beyond Insurance</i></b><p>With expectations for an always-on law firm, significant challenges within the legal industry to maintain competitiveness and perform due practice for cybersecurity and other disaster scenarios come from both clients and regulatory bodies.
Features

<b><i>Professional Development:</i></b> Getting 'Gig'gy with It: The New 'Gig Economy'
<b><i>Law Firm Marketing Teams Need to Adapt!</b></i><p>For the most part, law firms continue to structure themselves in a traditional operating and employment models with a dedicated workforce of talent arranged in an organizational hierarchy. In today's Gig Economy, however, this will unlikely hold. Here's why.
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AIM 1-2-3
There is a patented methodology that follows the same path that the introduction of depreciation followed, with the impact being similar in its influence, power and effect: The AIM (Actuarially Initiated Measurements) Program. An employer using this methodology realizes the ability to uncover and maximize missed opportunities to control fluctuations and variations in earnings per share (EPS).
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Role and Responsibilities of Practice Group Leaders
Ideally, the objective of defining the role and responsibilities of Practice Group Leaders should be to establish just enough structure and accountability within their respective practice group to maximize the economic potential of the firm, while institutionalizing the principles of leadership and teamwork.
Features

The Ever-Changing State of State and Local Taxes
For tax professionals, particularly those who specialize in the area of state and local taxes, nexus is a topic that is discussed all too often. Nexus rules have lagged behind the ever-changing economic landscape, but states are beginning to catch up. Nonetheless, the nexus rules are very important for professional services firms such as law firms.
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MOST POPULAR STORIES
- The 'Sophisticated Insured' DefenseA majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.Read More ›
- A Lawyer's System for Active ReadingActive reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.Read More ›
- The Brave New World of Cybersecurity Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions: Pitfalls and OpportunitiesLike poorly-behaved school children, new technologies and intellectual property (IP) are increasingly disrupting the M&A establishment. Cybersecurity has become the latest disruptive newcomer to the M&A party.Read More ›
- Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric CodeIn an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.Read More ›
- Guidance on Distributions As 'Disbursements' and U.S. Trustee FeesIn a recent case from the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, In re Paragon Offshore PLC, the bankruptcy court provided guidance on whether a post-plan effective date litigation trust's distributions constituted disbursements subject to the U.S. Trustee fee "tax."Read More ›