Law Firm Management

Banking on experience

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | November 21, 2007

Outsourcing is one of the major trends in the legal industry at the moment. Whether it is moving peripheral administrative tasks to a third-party provider or moving your entire IT department to a subsidiary in India, accessing low-cost workforces is the flavour of the month for the legal manager.

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Code comfort

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | November 14, 2007

"Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; he who would search for pearls must dive below." So wrote John Dryden in 1678. And so, too, every solicitor makes minor mistakes in his day-to-day work - inconsequential errors and misjudgements. But so what, you may ask, if beneath the surface the client is getting the pearls of a first-rate job? And let us not forget that the standard is generally very high. Clients are, by and large, well served.

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Susskind predicts demise of lawyers in IT-led future

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | November 1, 2007

Top business lawyers have played down talk that increasing commoditisation and use of IT will bring about the death of the industry, following claims made by leading technology expert Richard Susskind. The predictions come in Susskind's new book, The End of Lawyers?, in which he says the legal profession needs to undergo a significant transformation to avoid extinction. He argues that lawyers need to ask themselves what elements of their workload could be undertaken more cheaply and efficiently as "the market is unlikely to tolerate expensive lawyers" for work that can be better done by "smart systems and processes"

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The Bar: A fruitful search

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 31, 2007

It is widely documented that web users are increasingly using search engines as a path to access relevant information. As more information becomes accessible on the internet, business people need a simple and accurate way of finding what they want. These requirements may be for research, for finding goods, services or even trading partners and suppliers. The internet has become an integral part of modern business communications and this raises the question of how much attention your business pays to ensuring that its content is properly accessible to search engines.

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Top of the pile

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 31, 2007

You tell me that I am one of your key clients - you say your place on our panel of legal advisers is vitally important to your firm as it gives your people stimulating work, we add kudos and attract other clients to your portfolio and the volume of fees we pass your way is invaluable. You often say the words 'key client', but to be frank I do not know what this means to us. We have a number of advisers on our panel and it is often very difficult distinguishing between them. They all have the technical capabilities to do the work we need. A couple stand out, I suppose, because of the personalities involved. But my legal department does not feel any real loyalty or affinity to one firm. You cannot differentiate one in terms of service excellence and added value. And so I suppose that is why I find it strange when you say how important my company is to your firm. I do not have any 'key' legal advisers.

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The learning commandments

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 24, 2007

Without good content, you cannot succeed. Targeted relevant information, pitched at the right level and directly related to the audience's work, makes good e-learning. At Lovells we tend to avoid most generic off-the-shelf content because, for us, one size does not fit all. Senior partners need different content from new graduates. Variation is also required by practice stream.

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The business of engagement

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 17, 2007

Customer relationship management (CRM) in law firms has been the subject of much debate in recent years. Some 18 months ago I thought I was reasonably well versed in the subject. But my eyes have been opened thanks to a development project that has proved to be challenging and, in parts, frustrating.

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Hard evidence

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 17, 2007

Lawyers have had to change the way they manage investigations, arbitration and litigation for their clients in response to rapid changes in technology. In order to best serve their clients' interests, lawyers in the UK will need to have at least a broad understanding of the methods and techniques available, as well as the benefits and pitfalls of e-disclosure.

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The right image

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 17, 2007

Osborne Clarke (OC) recently introduced an imaging management system, in a drive to improve the productivity of its lawyers. The firm faced the challenge of maintaining full client records in electronic form, automating document capture, integrating the new system with existing document management and centralised faxing systems, while also aiming to improve print productivity and reduce print overheads.

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The new breed

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | October 17, 2007

The organisation and manipulation of electronic documents presents a mounting challenge to law firms and litigation support departments of all types and sizes. Recent major advances in software architecture and technology, along with the increasingly litigious corporate environment and the rising importance of e-disclosure, are factors that are pushing the legal profession towards new technology which maximises workflow efficiency and results.

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Pro Mid Market

Boutique Firms Gain Momentum in the Legal Industry

By Michael A. Tanenbaum | March 14, 2018

As the legal industry searches to find solutions to its historical inefficient delivery of services, corporate counsel are evaluating approaches to the engagement of outside counsel best suited to meet their legal and business needs.

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Pro Mid Market

Is Your Firm Really a Firm? The 'Firmness' Scale Can Help

By Jeff Coburn | March 14, 2018

Over many years working with smaller and midsize law firms throughout the country, I've experienced a wide range of firm typologies. Much of the difference among such firms can be attributed to the degree of “firmness” that smaller and midsize firms exhibit.

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The American Lawyer

Burford Investors Get Rich as Financier Deepens Am Law 100 Ties

By Roy Strom | March 14, 2018

The litigation finance giant announced Wednesday that it had tripled its investment commitments on new cases.

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The American Lawyer

Dentons Touts Seven More Tie-Ups in Africa, Asia and Caribbean

By Rose Walker | March 14, 2018

Firms in the Cayman Islands, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia and Mauritius are among those being absorbed by Dentons in its latest round of global expansion.

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New York Law Journal

Chadbourne Settles Sex Bias Case That Shined Light on Big Law Pay Gap

By Christine Simmons | March 14, 2018

The deal resolves discrimination claims brought by Kerrie Campbell and two other partners against Chadbourne & Parke and its successor firm, Norton Rose Fulbright.

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International Edition

Dentons announces seven more tie-ups as global expansion continues apace

By Rose Walker | March 14, 2018

Expansion continues via deals with law firms in Africa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia

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International Edition

The death of the law firm partnership vote - will more firms eschew tradition for a more corporate approach?

By Gina Passarella | March 14, 2018

With an eye on efficiency, firms are ditching consensus-based methods in favour of more centralised management

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Daily Report Online

Fisher Phillips Witnesses Detail Pay Cuts for Tex McIver Before Wife's Shooting

By R. Robin McDonald | March 13, 2018

Fulton County prosecutors contend that Tex McIver shot and killed his wife to maintain his diminishing wealth and secure his beloved ranch that he had mortgaged to her for a $350,000 loan he couldn't pay. Fisher Phillips executives detailed the extent of the salary cuts to a jury in McIver's ongoing murder trial.

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Pro Mid Market

Tarter Krinsky & Drogin: How to Stay True to Entrepreneurial Roots

By David Gialanella | March 13, 2018

"As we change, we are very conscious to stay true to our values and maintain our close-knit and collaborative culture," says Alan Tarter, managing partner of Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, in describing how his young, midsize firm strives to stay true to its entrepreneurial roots while continuing to grow.

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New York Law Journal

Tarter Krinsky & Drogin: How to Stay True to Entrepreneurial Roots

By Susan DeSantis | March 13, 2018

"As we change, we are very conscious to stay true to our values and maintain our close-knit and collaborative culture," says Alan Tarter, managing partner of Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, in describing how his young, midsize firm strives to stay true to its entrepreneurial roots while continuing to grow.

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