An interesting article appears in Law Office Management & Administration Report, April 2007 issue about the new associate salary increase. The point of the article is that “money isn’t the answer…” to keep associates. (more…)
Charles & Mary Beard wrote in the 1930s about the US Constitution having been crafted within the background of economics (see their marvelous work, Economic Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution). So, too, one can look at Mayer Brown’s recent actions in light of economics of a law practice. In fact, if one doesn’t look at the larger economic picture, there would be a gaping hole in the analysis! (more…)
This week, we’ve seen much discussion about the Mayer Brown "layoffs" of 10% of their partners. I have always maintained that law firms mirror their clients. Was Mayer Brown doing any different?
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According to Bob Pike, the guru of trainers’ training programs, a new study suggests as many as half of mid-level corporate managers have received coaching in the workplace in recent years.
Even lawyers are now getting coaching. Those who want to take their sucess to the next level engage a coach as an ally, just as athletes do.
Tom Collins suggests that many consultants discredit the value of strategic planning. And Larry Bodine bemoans the current "business" environment of law firms.
Law firms have always been seen by those law firms that have grown to the behemoths they are today, and those who would like to emulate those large law firms in the AmLaw 100, as a business! (more…)
Larry Bodine quotes Patrick Lamb about Mayer Brown, "PPP is a joke. And what’s more of a joke, lawyers either are so stupid that they can’t see behind the manipulation or they know how meaningless the statistic is, in which case law firm managers are fools for running their firms based on a bogey everyone knows is so malleable. Seriously, senior firm managers really have to ask themselves, if a prospective partner is attracted to them because of their PPP and doesn’t know how the firm’s "stock price" is so easily manipulated, do they really want such a fool as a partner?" (more…)
We prepared for Y2K. Nothing untoward happened. Apparently, no one prepared for the early time change. While I suspected that there was something awry in my Outlook calendar, I wasn’t sure until today when I missed an appointment. This recurring appointment was displayed one hour later than originally scheduled!
The real issue seems to be in the "recurring" events, those events that occur the same time on a daily or weekly basis.
I thought MS patch dealt with these Outlook issues. Apparently, for the three weeks involved, this didn’t happen. Check your "recurring" appointments. Manually set appointments do not seem to be affected. So, now, I’ve manually fixed all my appointments, even the recurring ones … and may even rely on paper/pencil calendar for awhile. Be sure to check your system on a daily basis. Again, check it when the three weeks are over and yet again in the Fall.
West LegalEdcenter features a teleseminar about business planning for the law firm: The First Essential to Success: Creating a Business Plan. Be sure to listen … the prgram is interactive … Should the time (Wednesday, 3/14/07, 11 a.m. PT) not be convenient for you, you can download the program at any time for later listening.
IF you’re reading this post, AND you sign up for the program, feel free to call or email me for an answer to any question you may have arising from the program.
I hope to hear you online.
Mayer Brown unloaded 45 partners! 10% of their partners! Why? According to an internal memo published by Wall Street Journal, the reason was to increase their profits per partner, a standard they say is important in competition for laterals and law school grads.
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In this week’s podcast, Ed Interviews Holly O’Neill. She is the principal of Talking Business, a company focusing on marketing strategies, focus groups, branding and brainstorming for new products and services.
14 minutes, 47 seconds
3.4MB