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.
A look at Summit, and what it has achieved.
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.
The American Land Title Association (ALTA) recently announced it has expanded the availability of its Best Practices Framework resources to non-members. Title agencies can use the framework to demonstrate compliance to lenders, who need to meet regulatory requirements regarding oversight of their third-party service providers. Law firms that have a title agency and those that are considering adding one in the future should be aware of ALTA Best Practices.
The practice of law is constantly evolving, thanks to emerging technologies on which businesses now rely. Fortunately, technology to support the legal profession has stepped up to this challenge, bringing automation to tedious processes.
Professional legal marketers are by and large responsible for the creative and labor-intensive effort involved in developing a strong law firm brand. After all, a brand does not develop by chance, but rather is strategically planned, crafted and 'communicated.
A cooperating witness in the Dewey & LeBoeuf criminal trial, Dianne Cascino, testified last month that she didn't believe she was breaking the law when she made accounting adjustments as the firm's director of revenue support.
