LexisNexis Market Intelligence
November 14, 2005
Understanding the business challenges law firms face in obtaining and leveraging Competitive Intelligence is critical for legal IT professionals to help provide the support and expertise marketers need for client development. In addition, keeping up-to-date on new technology tools for law firm marketers will help IT professionals as they drive the technology selection and implementation process.
<b>Media & Communications Corner:</b> Becoming the TV Star You Always Wanted to Be
November 02, 2005
The glamour and cache of being interviewed on CNN or CNBC as a national legal source is quite appealing to many attorneys. Broadcast journalism reaches a broad audience and for many, is seen as more exciting than print. And when other attorneys (deemed not as accomplished as themselves) appear on TV, they often wonder: How can I get there too? The answer is: preparation and some honest reflection.
Using Chapter 11 to Shed Extravagant Benefit Packages
October 28, 2005
In May of this year, a bankruptcy court allowed United Airlines to terminate certain of its defined benefit pension plans, clearing the way for the largest pension default in U.S. history. The default will save United an estimated $645 million a year in pension contributions, part of the $2 billion in annual savings it says it needs to emerge from Chapter 11. United's success has led to speculation that other corporations with generous and/or underfunded pension and other retiree benefit plans will also use bankruptcy to clean 'legacy costs' off their balance sheets. Modification or termination of such liabilities in Chapter 11, however, is not without difficulty.
Corporate Minutes: The Not-So-New Frontier
October 27, 2005
Until recently, the subject of corporate minutes seemed about as interesting ' and received about as much attention ' as watching paint dry. However, for a number of reasons, the subject now receives considerable attention from the legal and corporate governance communities, and from boards of directors themselves.
Judge's Order Shows Contempt for Doctors' and Lawyers' Tactics
October 07, 2005
As anticipated, Judge Janis Graham Jack's written Order 29 in the <i>In re Silica Products Liability Litigation</i> multidistrict litigation ("MDL") was far from complimentary to the plaintiff bar. The order, dated June 30, addresses subject matter jurisdiction, admissibility of evidence and sanctions for some lawyers Judge Jack basically deemed charlatans. The order followed the defendants' presentation of evidence during a 3-day hearing in February in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division, which showed that many of the claims under investigation were brought on the basis of faulty or nearly nonexistent medical diagnoses.
Corporate Crisis Management
October 05, 2005
Fielding a Winning Team for Shareholders Wichita, KS, was an unlikely spot for finding metaphors. Sitting in a rental car on the steaming asphalt outside…
The MLF 50: More From the Top Firms
October 03, 2005
In my continuing effort to present as many of the firms that were listed in the MLF 50, I am pleased to profile Baker & McKenzie (No. 6) and Carlton Fields (No. 22) in this issue of <i>Marketing The Law Firm</i>.
Substance Over Style As a Winning Combination
October 03, 2005
It is unfortunate that firms do not fully understand or appreciate the importance of marketing and communications, but nevertheless continue to throw money at their programs without analyzing their needs. The firms that made the list were chosen on the basis of their accomplishments and not as much about their staffing or budgets. While these aspects were taken into consideration, the number of staffers and the budgets did not affect the final listing. Some firms actually do quite a bit more with less staff and less money. As a veteran of law firm marketing and communications, I felt extremely confident in including these firms because I know what they are about and I know their people. The valuation of all the firms is reflective of programs that are differentiators in the world of law firms and in many ways mirror Corporate America's marketing programs. <br>Some of the more important aspects of several marketing and communications programs that struck a chord as having well thought-out and meaningful programs that provide a glimpse into the substance over style world of law firm marketing and communications programs.
When Bankruptcy Goes Public
October 03, 2005
Bankruptcy filings make headlines, regardless of whether the debtor is a large public company, a small private business, a national icon or a local not-for-profit. And media coverage -- and the public and political scrutiny it invites - can influence, for better or worse, the course of the case. It can even affect the very future of the organization. As the legal, operational and financial strategies associated with the bankruptcy process are put in place, communications must be an integral component.
Developing Effective Information Security Programs
September 20, 2005
For many years, financial institutions and other entities that collect personal information focused on privacy as an emerging legal doctrine presenting compliance challenges and an array of business implications. These issues, while still important and subject to ongoing debate and tinkering, have become, for many financial institutions, an automatic component of ongoing business activities. Now, with all of the attention focused on security of customer information driven by the recent flood of news stories concerning security breaches in numerous industries, privacy's ugly stepchild — the security of consumer information — has moved to the forefront of concern, both for financial institutions and the various entities that regulate and oversee them. News stories reporting security breaches are an almost daily occurrence. New legislation is being introduced almost constantly, at both the state and national level. While financial institutions already face a raft of security-related compliance obligations, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and others, financial institutions and their important business partners have been a focus of many of the most highly publicized breaches.
