True Partnerships Reward Partner-Like Behavior
January 01, 2017
A true partnership requires a compensation structure that rewards partner-like behavior — collegiality, mentoring, expansion and transition of client relationships to fellow partners, and a consensus to pursue long-term strategies promoting institutional stability rather than maximizing short-term profit metrics.
Rebound Year Forecast for 2017
January 01, 2017
It is expected that equipment and software investment for 2016 will ultimately close down 1.1%, including three consecutive quarters of declining growth. This trend is expected to reverse in the new year, however, as investment in equipment and software is expected to grow 3.0% in 2017, according to the Annual 2017 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook released by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.
Mastering the Art of Self-Promotion
January 01, 2017
Self-promotion makes many people uncomfortable and unsure. However, to really maximize your hard work as a lawyer, you need to let the world know about your successes — and nobody can do it all for you.
Estate Planning for the Digital Afterlife
January 01, 2017
This article discusses the importance of accounting for digital assets in an estate plan, provides practical considerations for handling their disposition after death, and describes the current state of the law for the handling of digital assets after death.
The Human Factor In Information Security
January 01, 2017
No one can deny that cyberattacks are the new norm. Such risks will increasingly challenge our ability to operate our businesses. In the world of cybercrime, everyone — from individuals to nation-states — is a target. However, some targets are more alluring than others.
Non-Compete Clauses In California
January 01, 2017
Non-compete clauses in employment contracts typically seek to preclude employees from working for a competitor for a specific period of time and within a specific geographic area. Most states allow non-competition agreements, provided they are reasonable in scope and justified by the employer's legitimate business interests. California, however, generally prohibits covenants not to compete, subject to limited exceptions.
<i>Professional Development</i><br>Survey: Today's Am Law Chief Marketing Officer
December 01, 2016
<i><b>Dramatic Change Defines the Position</i></b><p>
Perhaps no non-practicing lawyer position has changed as dramatically as that of the leading marketing professional, which bears no resemblance to the position in the 1990s. Twenty-five years ago, law firm marketing executives were asked to put together brochures and prepare seating charts for client and partner functions. It's a different world today.
Retiring Boomers Pose Big Challenges For Firms
November 01, 2016
The boomer generation — 75 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 — and a tiny cadre of over-70s Silent Generation lawyers currently make up just under half of partners at Am Law 200 firms. As partners with the greatest seniority, they constitute a majority in the equity and management ranks, and control an outsize share of client relationships. The impacts of retirement are amplified because a long surge in hiring and promotion that began when boomers entered law firms has halted since the financial crisis.
Highlights of 2016 and Predictions for 2017 Attract Year-End Media Interest
November 01, 2016
By guiding your colleagues and lawyers to focus on the business consequences of timely legal issues, you introduce them to reporters as sources whose opinions and predictions will be quoted in these look-back and look-ahead review stories that executives and prospective clients will be reading to gear up for the new year.
On the Hot Seat: Five Must-Haves for Today's Am Law 100 Chief Operating Officers
November 01, 2016
Over the years, the structure of law firms has shifted from a geographical model to a practice group model. Rather than placing leaders in each geographical office, law firm practice group leaders have more power. As law firms have evolved in size, reach, and complexity, so too has the need for seasoned executives to manage the business of law.
