The Changing Face of Chapter 11
December 21, 2007
The face of bankruptcies in corporate America has changed multiple times since the reforms of 1978. And it's going to change once more ' probably radically ' over the coming months. This article explains.
Legal Sales & Service: Voice of the Client: CRANK IT UP!
December 21, 2007
The articles that the Legal Sales and Service Organization (LSSO) has published in a regular column for MLF the past year have focused on a variety of specific topics, like planning, alignment, and how to lead successful initiatives. But they all have one important thing in common. It is the need for law firms to really listen to their clients in order to elevate their service.
Note from the Editor: Looking Forward to 2008
December 21, 2007
By the time all of you will be reading this, we will be in a new year and a new year brings new projects and new challenges, all of which are exciting and fulfilling. Here's what we have planned for this promising new year...
Client Speak: The Red Zone Is Wide Open
December 21, 2007
Down economy. Incipient recession. Sub-prime credit crunch. Those are excuses that smart marketers don't use. They're catch-phrases that aggressive business developers never rely on. They're facts of life that do not impinge on the agendas of street-smart lawyers.
The Best of MLF 2007
December 21, 2007
In 2007, we learned a lot from myriad authors and our fabulous regular columnists. As with past practice, I am going to give our readership the pleasure of having the opportunity to enjoy reading one article from each of the past 12 months. In this issue we will feature January up to and including July. The February issue will continue highlighting one article from each of the August to December issues.
Rent Abatement Clauses: Tenants Should Speak Softly, But Draft a 'Club'
November 30, 2007
In commercial lease transactions, a tenant's desire and need to occupy a space and begin transacting business often takes precedence over a landlord's ability to complete all of the bargained-for physical alterations that it has promised. The issue of determining the diminished value of the premises prior to the completion of the landlord's work is customarily resolved through the negotiation of rent abatement provisions that quantify damages where delays in the landlord's construction would lead to a breach of contract.
Ways to Avoid Electronic Contract Killers in Second Life
November 30, 2007
The creators of Second Life — an online virtual community — faced some real-life problems in a Pennsylvania court recently. In <i>Bragg v. Linden Research, Inc.,</i> No. CIV.A06 4925 (E.D.P.A. May 30, 2007), Judge Eduardo C. Robreno, denying a motion to compel arbitration, offers attorneys and their clients some useful guidelines to consider when drafting standard electronic form contracts.
Shari'ah Finance and the Equipment Leasing Industry
November 30, 2007
<i>Shari'ah</i> or Islamic-compliant financing is gaining a foothold in international finance transactions. This article provides an overview to equipment finance professionals as to certain opportunities that may exist within this market for both increasing customer base and obtaining sources of capital.
Guiding Expenditures on Law Firm Videos
November 30, 2007
Videos are popping up increasingly on firm Web sites, but at least one analyst warns that law firms might be paying too much for too little.
Accepting the OMP Role: Financial and Practice Impacts
November 30, 2007
If gratitude is measured in dollars, office managing partners ('OMPs') are a bit taken for granted. In an informal Recorder survey of San Francisco Bay Area office managing partners, 70% say they work more than when they practiced law exclusively. But only 22% say they are earning more than before they took the post.
