The authors began their two-part series on "communication babble" in the July Issue of this newsletter They conclude herein with "an only slightly disguised true story."
Having thick skin is critical to success in law firms, especially when your job centers on developing programs that help a firm compete in a dynamic and increasingly competitive environment.
Whether or not to meet with clients on a regular basis will now significantly impact a firm's success. And this means all inactive important clients of the firm, not just the firm's current active clients.
When it comes to the business processes that legal organizations should be improving immediately for long-term success, back-office support and the recovery of those costs tops the list. With the pressure on rates and cost recovery not abating, it is critical that firms develop a strategic plan to decrease and control their support costs and recover them in a fair and transparent manner.
Legal bill scrutiny in its many forms ' internally by legal departments, by nonlawyer staff elsewhere in the company, by third-party auditors, or via e-billing software ' has the potential to affect how and when law firms get paid, but the practical effect is up for debate.
One of the most pervasive impacts on law firms is the need for sustained continuous change. Change is never easy. Continuous change is harder and particularly so in conservative professions like law. Here enters the business case for law firm intrapreneur programs!
The Legal Sales and Service Organization set out to salute the cutting-edge work of individuals and/or teams in law firms playing critical roles in the ongoing financial health of many law firms. Here's a look at the winner.
The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) recently conducted its 2015 Inside/Outside Counsel Relationship Survey in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between lawyers in corporate legal departments and lawyers in law firms. The results are reported herein.
A 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.
Like 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.
Active 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.
In 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.
Parties in large non-consumer transactions with no connection whatsoever to New York often choose its law to govern their transactions, and New York statutes permit them to do so. What most people do not know is that the New York Uniform Commercial Code is outdated.
