Counsel Concerns
November 29, 2004
Issues in serving as a lawyer in the entertainment industry. This month:<br>A federal district court in Manhattan sanctioned a lawyer and his client for pursuing in bad faith claims against the company that holds the rights to the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan.
The Effects of Terminating a Pension Plan in Bankruptcy
November 29, 2004
Oftentimes, one of the largest commitments of a company is its ongoing funding obligations under its pension plan. Contribution obligations to a company-sponsored pension plan will often influence the timing of a financially troubled company's bankruptcy filing. An example of this is the Chapter 11 case of United Air Lines (United) and its affiliates. United viewed its obligations to make significant contributions to its pension plans as somewhat incompatible with its need to create a fiscally strong enterprise so as to effectively compete with low- cost carriers that do not have the same economic burdens.
Tax and Retirement Planning
November 29, 2004
The 2004 American Jobs Creation Act (AJCA) creates several tax breaks for businesses and made some other significant changes. This article highlights the more prominent provisions of the AJCA that affect businesses and individual taxpayers generally, and that to some extent have specific impact on law firms and other professional service providers.
Business Development Driver: Leverage Knowledge Management
November 22, 2004
Knowledge management (KM) has about as many definitions as it does implementations, and in law firms it was recognized early on as a tool to help lawyers in supporting their clients. Lots of paper, information, and knowledge to manage ' and robust document management systems emerged as KM solutions. That's fine for the lawyers, but in marketing and business development, it's who you know as much as it is what you know. At Duane Morris, where our Marketing and Business Development Department is only 3 years old, we were able to grow this functional area around the key information and processes needed to be successful.
New! Same Sex Partnership Law Report
November 18, 2004
There's a battle raging in local, state and federal legislative bodies and courts,You know the issue. You deal with it every day. Now, get the clarity you need tohelp your clients keep and gain their rights.<br>
Strategically Manage Occupancy Costs to Increase Law Firm Profitability
November 05, 2004
Aside from payroll, real estate costs are a large law firm's most significant expense. Even under the best circumstances, such expenditures — sometimes called occupancy costs — consume 8% to 10% of the typical large firm's annual revenue. These costs are not confined to rent; many firms finance millions of dollars worth of expenses associated with the construction of their space.
How A Leader Adds Value To A Law Firm
November 01, 2004
The greatest, and perhaps the most frustrating challenge with which effective leaders of law firms must deal is the approach to follow to provide leadership to their firms. Central to this conflict is whether to lead by consensus or decree. Astute leaders achieve the appropriate balance of building consensus among the partners versus managing as an autocrat.
Gray Cary & Piper Rudnick: It's A Match!
November 01, 2004
Partners at Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich and Piper Rudnick voted to merge the two firms in mid-October, creating a firm with close to 1400 lawyers in 20 offices and setting the stage for an even larger combination later this year.
Around the Firms
November 01, 2004
Movement among major law firms and corporations.
Eight Ways To Save Money On Legal Fees
November 01, 2004
Some may wonder why a partner in a major law firm is going to tell you how to save money on litigation legal expenses. The answer is simple. My job, first and foremost, is to obtain the best possible result for my clients. In my view (and the view of my colleagues), achieving the best result includes cost efficiency and cost effectiveness. Over the course of 18 years, I have had a front row seat to a wide range of client approaches to managing ' or not managing ' legal fees.
