Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Marty Beirne Featured in ABA Article on Marketing
Richard Levick
ABA Law Practice Management Section
April, 2004
There are lots of litigators in Texas, and for a good reason: There’s lots of litigation in the state—including cases brought to some of the most plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions on the planet. Taking the marketing opportunity by the horns, one trial firm emblazoned its Texas brand worldwide.
Trade Secrets and Corporate Espionage
Protecting Your Company's Crown Jewels
by Glenna Rodgers and Scott Marrs
(Ms. Rodgers is General Counsel for Eni Petroleum a Houston-based exploration and production company -- Glenna.Rodgers@EniPetroleum.com. Scott Mars is a partner at Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, LLP. He represents clients in intellectual property and commercial disputes, trials and arbitrations -- SMarrs@BMPllp.com)
(Published in the ACC Docket 22, no. 4, April 2004, pp. 60-78)
About 85 percent of all corporate espionage incidents involve current or past employees. Use this article by Network attorney Scott Marrs and client Glenna Rodgers to develop and implement a battle plan.
Friday, April 23, 2004
Billy Gunn Interviewed on Airlines' Sky Radio NetworkEarl "Billy" Gunn of Weinberg, Wheeler Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, LLC's founding members, was recently interviewed by the Sky Radio Network about his thoughts on rising medical malpractice liability premiums and on tort reform. Billy's interviews are airing on the Sky Radio Network on various American Airlines flights throughout the month of August 2004. The Sky Radio Network provides business, technology, health, and entertainment programming to some of the largest airlines in the world, including United, Delta, Northwest, U.S. Airways, and America West. Click here to hear the interview (requires Windows Media Player or equivalent.)
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
British Publication Recognizes Lowenstein Sandler as Tops in New Jersey
Firm Ratings Rise
The second edition of the Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers has been released and, as with last year's first edition, Lowenstein Sandler has more attorneys listed in New Jersey than any other law firm. (The survey is limited to corporate, litigation, employment and real estate practices.)
Last year Chambers named the firm as "the premier New Jersey firm." This year, Chambers did not provide any overall firm ranking. In each of the four practice areas covered by Chambers, approximately one dozen of the top firms in that area in the State are given a ranking of "1," "2," or "3". The Corporate Department was noted as "the leading corporate department in the state." The Corporate Department was the only one awarded a "1" ranking in the State, with 11 other firms earning either 2's or 3's. Clients commended the firm for its "high quality and responsive lawyers."
The Litigation Department moved from a 2 to a 1 ranking, a listing it shared with only four other firms. A total of only 10 firms were given a ranking of any kind. The report noted that clients "think the world of" the 108 attorneys comprising this litigation practice, praising their "responsive approach - it is a creative team that gives terrific service."
The employment group was ranked as a 3, among only 11 firms recognized State-wide. The narrative gave the group high marks for its overall responsiveness and business sense. The real estate group similarly was ranked as a 3 among a total of 13 firms listed and was noted for the service it provides to the firm's diverse business clientele.
Peter Ehrenberg, David Harris, Greg Reilly, Larry Rolnick, Joe Steinberg, Alan Wovsaniker and Ed Zimmerman were recognized individually by Chambersas leading attorneys in New Jersey.
The Full Text of the ranking can be viewed online at http://www.chambersandpartners.com/us/default.asp?rid=388&action=ips
Other Network Firms Also Rated:
Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, L.L.P. -- Ratings
Corr Cronin -- Ratings
Forman Perry Watkins Krutz & Tardy LLP -- Ratings
Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP -- Ratings
LeClair Ryan -- Ratings
Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLC -- Ratings
Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell, PA -- Ratings
Snell & Wilmer -- Ratings
Thompson Hine LLP -- Ratings
Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, LLC -- Ratings
Wheeler, Trigg & Kennedy -- Ratings
For information on ratings.
Marketing with Blogs -- 10 Steps
By Rich Ottum
WebPro News
4/20/04
Business weblogs are not rocket science, but like any other communication medium; their effectiveness depends upon quality of content and execution. Before you join the chorus and begin publishing, follow the eStrategyOne 10 steps to marketing with Business Weblogs:
1--Make it New: Your business weblog is not your website. You must offer fresh content and a unique perspective not available from your traditional corporate communications.
2--Give it Voice: Your weblog must have an editorial voice--not corporate-speak, but the voice of a real individual. Think of your favorite editorial writer or humor columnist. Your weblog author should be an individual with a unique and recognized point-of-view. Your author's comments should be informative, provocative, honest, and always in good taste.
3--Say it Often: A dynamic business weblog should be updated every few days, or at least weekly. Concentrate on the most compelling, current or urgent issues in your industry or marketplace. Provide breaking news updates in real time.
4--Ask for Feedback: Successful weblogs encourage reader participation. Make sure you enable comments, and actively solicit feedback. If you are afraid of criticism or controversy from your readers, stick to monolog publishing on your website.
5--Share the Wealth: Despite your pride of authorship, recognize the diverse interests of your readers. Successful business weblogs provide links to numerous outside resources and to other weblogs with like content.
6--Keep it Simple: Leave the Flash introductions to ad agency websites. Keep your weblog graphic design simple. Use color and images sparingly, and focus on readable text. Use categories, and make your archives easy to search. Use a template or an experienced designer to accomplish simplicity.
7--Equip Your Readers: Not all weblog readers or prospective readers have newsreader software. In fact, many readers are clueless regarding XML, RSS, or any technology with three initials. Make sure your readers can easily find your weblog online. Tell your readers where to download newsreader software, but also enable readers to receive your postings via email.
8--Promote in Multiple Channels: Not everyone is cruising aggregators looking for news feeds. Make sure you promote your business weblog in traditional channels, the old-fashioned way. Advertise your weblog in print, on your website, and via email marketing. Finally, do register with blog-specific directories.
9--Join Another Conversation: Weblog authors should read and post comments on other weblog sites. Consider this professional courtesy, not self-promotion. Encourage intelligent dialog in your industry or area of expertise.
10--Be Patient: Weblog syndication technology is nothing new--it's merely recycled "push technology" circa 1998. While the adoption of consumer blogs is exploding, business weblogs are growing more cautiously. Expect a small readership initially, and allow your audience to grow organically.
Partners, Look Before You Leap
Jeffrey Lowe
Legal Times
04-20-2004
1. Important factors to consider:
• Platform. Will the new firm be able to support your current practice or offer synergies that will allow you to further develop your practice?
• Compensation.
• Billing. Is the new firm's billing structure consistent with your current billing rate?
• Conflicts. Are there potential conflicts between your existing clients and the new firm's clients?
• Culture. Is the "culture" of the new firm in line with your expectations?
2. What does my partnership agreement say?
3. What's my book?
4. Will my billing rate change?
5. Should I go alone or with a group?
6. What do I tell my clients? My partners? My associates?
Beirne Maynard & Parsons Hits Home Run in 5th Circuit for AIG on Pollution Exclusion
Roger McCleary and a team from Network member firm Beirne Maynard & Parsons have achieved another important win for AIG's National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA (National Union) in a major insurance coverage dispute.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a summary judgment declaring that National Union's pollution exclusion insulated the carrier from any obligation to reimburse defense costs or indemnify U.S. Liquids, Inc. and various officers and directors (USL) regarding consolidated securities fraud class action and shareholder derivative litigation. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA, v. U.S. Liquids, Inc., 271 F.Supp.2d 926 (S.D. Tex. 2003), aff'd per curiam, No. 03-20542, 2004 WL 304084 (5th Cir. Feb. 17, 2004).
McCleary argued the case to the Fifth Circuit on January 5, 2004. He was assisted by BMP lawyers Henry Platts, Jr., Megan Gable and Pamela Hicks. USL was represented by King & Spalding, L.L.P., and Hicks, Thomas & Lilienstern, L.L.P.
USL provides liquid waste management services, including collection, processing, recycling and disposal. USL asserted the underlying claims were covered under a Directors, Officers, and Corporate Liability policy issued by National Union. The D&O policy had a $20,000,000 limit of liability and included a Securities Plus II endorsement, which provided expanded coverage for securities claims. USL demanded that the full limit of liability be applied to defense cost reimbursement and settlement of the underlying claims - or to indemnity in the event USL was found liable.
The Fifth Circuit decision extends the application of pollution exclusions to securities fraud class action/shareholder derivative litigation and reaffirms the right of insurance carriers to exclude unwanted exposure associated with pollution through an unambiguously worded pollution exclusion.
UNDERLYING CLAIMS AGAINST USL
The complaint in the underlying consolidated securities litigation, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleged that purchasers of U.S. Liquids stock were damaged from the diminution in the value of the stock because of alleged violations of federal securities laws. The claimed securities violations included allegations that USL:
• failed "to disclose that a substantial part of [the] revenue and income [of U.S. Liquids] was recognized as a result of defendants' pretending to have performed services which in fact were not performed; to wit the proper treatment and disposal of hazardous material;"
• represented that U.S. Liquids had a "well planned expansion strategy that would result in steady revenue growth and increased EPS . . . [but] that USL's proclaimed increased profitability resulted from the fact that [U.S. Liquids] was illegally charging its customers for waste disposal services it had never performed;"
• represented that U.S. Liquids had "disciplined pre-acquisition review procedures for acquisition candidates, including legal, financial, engineering, operational, and environmental reviews" when "the companies acquired by USL were not properly investigated by USL prior to their acquisition;" and,
• represented that U.S. Liquids was in compliance with applicable environmental law and that employees were properly trained in waste management procedures.
The shareholders derivative lawsuit against USL, also filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, claimed that USL breached fiduciary duties and wasted corporate assets by allegedly:
• exposing U.S. Liquids to "huge fines or civil penalties and a diminution of USL's revenue growth" and "huge fines and/or penalties USL knew it would have to pay due to" allegedly illegal waste disposal practices;
• illegally dumping waste and charging customers as if the waste had been properly disposed of, thereby driving up the value of U.S. Liquids' shares and reaping "millions in bonuses through their false financial reporting of [U.S. Liquids'] earnings, liabilities and equity";
• permitting U.S. Liquids' financial statements to "materially overstate USL's net income and assets" due to "its illegal conduct"; and,
• exposing U.S. Liquids "to the cost of the defense of and possible cost of liability for a violation of the federal securities laws as a result of the securities laws class action lawsuits [pending] against it in federal court."
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
USL placed National Union on notice and requested reimbursement of defense costs and indemnification against any liability. After National Union denied coverage for all claims and defense costs based upon the policy's pollution exclusion, BMP filed a declaratory judgment action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. This action sought a judgment declaring that USL's claim under the D&O policy was barred by application of the pollution exclusion. USL counterclaimed for breach of contract and a declaratory judgment of coverage. Cross motions for summary judgment were filed, resulting in dismissal of USL's claims and a declaratory judgment in favor of National Union. USL appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which conducted a de novo review.
FIFTH CIRCUIT ISSUES
USL asserted numerous grounds for appeal. Included among these were the following central arguments, all rejected by the Fifth Circuit:
• the policy provided coverage for the underlying securities and derivative claims notwithstanding the pollution exclusion;
• the pollution exclusion was unenforceable because USL was in the business of waste processing and treatment and, therefore, application of the pollution exclusion would allegedly render illusory the Securities Plus II coverage;
• the allegations and damages claimed in the underlying cases arose from allegedly independent misrepresentations or other conduct unrelated to excluded pollution related matters;
• the pollution exclusion was ambiguous, particularly in the context of application of the Securities Plus II coverage in conjunction with the pollution exclusion to a company in the waste processing and treatment business;
• the district court erred by concluding that under Texas law the "arising out of" language of the pollution exclusion required a broad, general and comprehensive interpretation of the exclusion, rather than a narrow interpretation favoring coverage;
• there must be a causal connection between the injury alleged in the underlying lawsuits and the events excluded by the policy; and,
• National Union had already lost this issue in an allegedly similar case decided in another jurisdiction (and not handled by a Network firm).
Click Click for a copy of the Fifth Circuit Decision.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Law Firm Consultants or Arms Dealers?
Altman Weil Offers Plaintiff Law Firms Marketing Tips
Plaintiff law firms on average spend seven or eight percent of their gross income on marketing – almost four times as much as general practice firms do. They rely on a traditional suite of marketing techniques including space ads, radio and television spots, seminars and PR; but sometimes they find this isn’t enough. Altman Weil consultant Debra Rhodunda offers ten marketing tips to rejuvenate a plaintiffs practice.
Sen. Hatch Pushes Fund for Asbestos Claims
By Christopher Smith
The Salt Lake Tribune
April 13, 2004
The Senate will consider next week a new government-managed fund to pay medical claims of asbestos victims.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are skeptical the 60 votes Hatch needs to force a vote on the measure can be mustered.
Monday, April 12, 2004
Mergers boost Reed Smith Revenues by 40%; PPP up 13% to $558K
Legal Week reports:
Reed Smith has chalked up 40% growth in turnover for 2003 after securing a series of ambitious mergers.
The 1,000-lawyer US firm saw 2003 revenue soar to $441m, up 40% from 2002’s total of $314m.
The increase outpaces West Coast firms such as Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, as well as New York leaders Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft and Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
Partner profits rose by 13% to hit $558,000, against the previous year’s figure of $495,000.
The major driver for growth has been two years of domestic and international expansion, which has seen Reed Smith hire a 26-lawyer team from New York’s Parker Duryee Rosoff & Haft, as well as merge with Virginia’s Hazel & Thomas, New York’s McAulay Nissen Goldberg & Kiel and London’s Warner Cranston.
In addition, the Pittsburgh firm’s merger with 215-lawyer Californian practice Crosby Heafey Roach & May went live on 1 January, 2003.
The firm has continued its policy of expansion in 2004 with the firm securing the takeover of New York advertising and marketing boutique Hall Dickler and Washington DC IP specialists Shanks & Herbert.
Reed Smith managing partner Gregory Jordan told Legal Week: “The results follow from our strategy and is the first year after we integrated the Crosby merger. That has shown immediate benefits and we have been able to generate $20m from new clients as a result of the deal.”
Author: Antony Collins
Source: Legal Week
Start Date: 26/02/2004
End Date: 22/03/2004
Friday, April 09, 2004
Bush Taps Thompson Hine Partner for IRS Position as IRS Chief Counsel
April 8, 2004 - The United States Senate today confirmed the appointment of Donald L. Korb, a tax partner in the Cleveland office of Thompson Hine LLP, to serve as Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service and an Assistant General Counsel in the Department of the Treasury. President George W. Bush had nominated Mr. Korb for the position in December 2003.
“I am honored to have been appointed to this important position,” says Mr. Korb, a Cleveland native and partner in Thompson Hine’s tax practice. “I look forward to the opportunity to serve in the President’s administration.”
The Chief Counsel is the chief law officer for the IRS and an Assistant General Counsel for the Treasury, with duties and responsibilities prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury and by law. The Chief Counsel of the IRS supervises approximately 1,400 attorneys who are assigned among the IRS National Office and the major operational divisions of the agency. The Chief Counsel’s Office plays a central role in the administration of the Federal tax laws. Its attorneys provide guidance on the correct legal interpretation of the tax laws, represent the IRS in litigation, and provide all other legal support the IRS needs to carry out its mission of serving American taxpayers. For example, the Chief Counsel’s Office drafts regulations, rulings, and other published legal guidance; handles tens of thousands of cases per year in the U.S. Tax Court and bankruptcy courts and works closely with the Department of Justice on other tax litigation in other Federal courts; and provides specific legal advice and determinations to taxpayers and to various IRS offices both before and after taxes are filed.
Mr. Korb began his professional career nearly 30 years ago in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the IRS (in January 1974), after graduating from Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1973 and serving in the U.S. Army. (In addition to his J.D. from Case, Mr. Korb holds a Masters in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center (1977) and a B.A. from John Carroll University (magna cum laude, 1970).) In 1978, he joined Thompson Hine’s tax practice and was elected to the partnership in 1981. In 1984, Mr. Korb was appointed Assistant to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, where he led the Service’s participation in the landmark 1986 tax reform process. He then returned to Thompson Hine, where he chaired the firm’s tax practice for more than seven years. In 1997, Mr. Korb joined Coopers & Lybrand LLP as a tax partner in the accounting firm’s National Tax office. In July of 1998, he returned to Thompson Hine and has focused his practice on handling taxpayer controversies with the IRS.
“All of us at Thompson Hine are very excited for Don,” explains David J. Hooker, Managing Partner of Thompson Hine. “He has been an asset to our firm and to our clients. While we will miss having him as a part of our firm, we recognize what an incredible opportunity this is for him.”
MOVING TO MUMBAI
More Firms Are Outsourcing Support Services to India. Will Legal Work Be Next?
Thursday, April 08, 2004
U.K. Firm to Outsource Real Legal Work to South African Lawyers on Fixed Price Basis
Legal Week reports:
Employment and personal injury firm Underwoods has unveiled radical plans to outsource corporate, commercial, employment and personal injury work to South Africa.
In a ground-breaking move, the firm has established a company to handle it and other firms’ legal work on a fixed case basis, both for Underwoods and other UK firms.
It will be staffed by South African lawyers in Cape Town who will handle bulk legal work for a benchmark rate of £500 a case
As well as taking referrals from other firms, Underwoods is hoping it will be able to pitch to do the legal work for companies that take advantage of the UK Government’s planned ‘Tesco law’ reforms in order to offer legal services.
The company, called Law Abroad, is working with software provider Emis, which will take a cut of the fees on each case.
It will be the first time that actual legal work, rather than support work, has been outsourced abroad.
"This has huge potential not just for PI work, but for commercial and transactional work as well, because City rates are so high," name partner Kerry Underwood told Legal Week.
"If City firms learn they can get work done at the same quality from a cheaper region, reducing costs to their clients and increasing their profits, then it would lead to happy partners and happy clients," he added.
Underwoods has already found premises and signed deals with two UK law firms to do work on a pilot basis.
It is expecting to process 7,000 claims a month when the venture formally starts in September.
Jonathan Gulliford, head of legal at the RAC, one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the Tesco law proposals, welcomed the idea.
"If they can get the systems right, this is certainly progress," he said. "The important thing is that they can continue to maintain a consistently high level of customer service."
Author: Legal Week
Source: Legal Week
Start Date: 08/04/2004
End Date: 15/04/2004
Lessons From Losing
Successful trial lawyers talk about painful moments
David Hechler
The National Law Journal
04-08-2004
Vignettes from 6 trial horses, summarized here as:
Beware of jurors who use the Internet.
Tell a story that makes the verdict feel right.
Never hand control over to a witness.
Learn from your opponent, but don't be intimidated.
Retain your composure: Juries are unpredictable.
Winning is easy; learn to persevere through losses.
LeClair Ryan Merges -- Adds 20 Lawyers in Roanoke
BY ALAN COOPER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Apr 8, 2004
The Richmond-based law firm of LeClair Ryan will merge with a 20-lawyer Roanoke firm May 3 to form the fifth-largest law firm in the state.
LeClair Ryan and its merger partner, Flippin, Densmore, Morse & Jessee, have a strong base of technology and entrepreneurial clients, said Doug Densmore of the Roanoke firm, which also has an office in Blacksburg.
Michael Hern, president and chief executive officer of LeClair Ryan, said each firm will benefit from the merger. "From the LeClair Ryan perspective, we get additional depth in our core practice areas: corporate, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, banking.
"From the Flippin Densmore side, they may now have access to additional legal specialties that the market may not otherwise have supported, such as environmental, lobbying, public finance, intellectual property, those sorts of things."
Virginia Business magazine had ranked LeClair Ryan ranked seventh behind Norfolk-based Kaufman & Canoles and Shaw Pittman, a Washington-based firm with a large office in Nothern Virginia.
The combined firm will have 132 lawyers. With that number, it will trail in size only Hunton & Williams, McGuireWoods, Troutman Sanders and Williams Mullen in the state. Troutman Sanders is based in Atlanta, but all the firms have their largest Virginia presence in Richmond.
"We're excited," Hern said. "This will be the first Richmond-based firm with a significant presence in Roanoke and the river valleys. Most of the Richmond firms have gone north and east."
LeClair Ryan has small offices in Roanoke and Blacksburg that will be consolidated with those Flippin Densmore offices, he said.
Because of the strength of the Roanoke firm's name in western Virginia, the firm will operate there as LeClair Ryan Flippin Densmore. It will use LeClair Ryan in the rest of the state.
Flippin Densmore was formed eight years ago by attorneys who left Woods Rogers, Roanoke's largest firm.
LeClair Ryan also has offices in Innsbrook, Norfolk, Alexandria, Charlottesville and Washington.
Contact Alan Cooper at (804) 649-6649 or acooper@timesdispatch.com
Lawyers Indicted for Practicing Law Out-of-State Without Local Counsel
Atlanta attorneys, firm accused of unauthorized practice of law
Jonathan Ringel
Fulton County Daily Report
04-08-2004
An Atlanta law firm's troubles arose from representing a North Carolina university. A letter to the firm from North Carolina State Bar's Authorized Practice Committee stated:
"It is the unauthorized practice of law for any persons other than licensed members of the North Carolina State Bar to practice law in the State of North Carolina."
"The practice of law includes preparation of legal documents, engaging in legal advice or counsel, acting as attorney, or furnishing the services as an attorney. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 84-2.1 & 4.
Monday, April 05, 2004
After the Merger: How to Pay Partners and Avoid Detrimental Disparities
April 2, 2004 1:01pm
Law Office Management & Administration Report
New Benchmarks Look at Law Firm Health-Care Plans
April 2, 2004 1:01pm
Law Office Management & Administration Report
Simple Facilitation Ideas to Keep Peace at Partner Meetings
April 2, 2004 1:01pm
Law Office Management & Administration Report
Facilitation leadership is a skill anyone can learn, per Beth Cuzzone, director of Goulston & Storrs, a law firm with offices in Boston, Washington, D.C., London, and New York City.
Before the meeting:
Prepare. You want the meeting to be focused, efficient, and results-driven.
* Survey the attendees and create the agenda with their assistance. This will generate involvement and ownership. Example: Ask: "What two agenda items would you like to discuss at next Wednesday's meeting?"
* Create the agenda and send it to participants prior to the meeting. If people have a chance to look over the agenda, they will be more likely to have something to contribute to the discussion. Tip: When you send attendees the agenda, you can remind them to be on time.
At the meeting:
Keep focused and stay in control of the agenda:
* Stand up. No matter how large or small the group, if you are standing, you will take control of the agenda and conversation will be drawn to you.
* Capture one set of notes. Use a flipchart or visual medium. You'll stay in control and ensure that everyone has the same notes and the same defined tasks, responsible attorneys, and deadlines.
* Write in black. Green, blue, and red can be difficult to read.
* Set ground rules.
-Stick to the agenda.
-Listen to each other.
-Allow no interruptions.
-Start and end on time.
* Only compliment the group, not individuals. When you single out one person's idea, the other members of the group may feel their ideas were unworthy of consideration.
* Have an "other issues" board. Although you will basically stick to the agenda, other subjects worthy of discussion will inevitably surface. The best approach when this happens is to give the group a choice:
-They can discuss the issue now.
-They can put it on the "other issues" board and talk about it if there is time at the end of the meeting.
-They can put it on the agenda for the next meeting.
* Guide the group through a decisionmaking process by brainstorming... narrowing... defining... deciding.
* Summarize the meeting. Shortly before time is up, take a moment to recap the decisions made, the tasks and deadlines set, and the next steps to be taken.
After the meeting:
* Send an electronic or print copy of notes to everyone immediately.
* Follow up and check in with all members of the group who had tasks and remind them of their deadline or the next meeting date.
* Put the "status of tasks" first on the agenda when sending out follow-up meeting invitations. You want to recap the last meeting, inventory progress, and provide participants with a copy of the last meeting's notes.
Copyright © 2004 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 The Dialog Corporation
Think Partner Retreats Are a Waste? This Summer Try an Owner Summit Instead
April 2, 2004 1:01pm
Partner's Report for Law Firm Owners
Consultant Gary Boomer offers the following suggestions for a successful summit experience:
* Select a relaxing venue away from the office, preferably a resort where you can enjoy leisure activities when daily meetings end.
* Encourage everyone to participate.
* Begin with a positive focus exercise. Take an hour to recap the most positive events of the past year and reflect on how you can follow up on them. Celebrating and being grateful for the firm's successes will boost the participants' confidence and start the meeting in the right spirit.
* Work from an agenda and stay on schedule. Solicit the items to be discussed in advance, and distribute an agenda with meeting materials to forestall surprises.
* Keep minutes of the summit and share them with the firm. This is an important part of the accountability process, as it helps avoid conflicts and keeps participants focused.
* Encourage strategic rather than tactical thinking. This can be difficult, but an agenda and an experienced external facilitator can help keep the focus on strategies.
* Take 10-to 15-minute breaks every hour. People need time to move around and interact informally.
* Invite outsiders such as experts or even clients. Outsiders can bring valuable perspectives, but don't expect them to come up with the answers to your problems. They will have opinions and ask penetrating questions.
* Appoint task forces for follow-up, with a responsible person and a due date. This will ensure that you make use of what you've learned.
* Conclude the summit with a brief statement from a wide variety of participants. Their perspectives are bound to differ, so take some time to let as many participants as possible express their views on the most valuable aspects of the meeting and to suggest any changes for the future.
* Create a brief, one-page laminated plan of action. Boomer believes this is a key to achieving the goals of your summit, since it gives you a reference point you can use within the firm and with outsiders. This "game plan" should include the firm's vision, mission, core values, and strategic initiatives on side one. On side two, list the strategic initiatives with one or more measurement methods, key steps, due dates, and responsibilities. Lamination will ensure that the document is not discarded. Review the game plan frequently and hold people accountable for the measures described.
Copyright © 2004 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 The Dialog Corporation
Law Firms Find Market for Office Space Hot, and Getting Hotter
Law firms formulate marketing strategies
From the April 1, 2004 print edition of the The Business Journal of Portland
Shelly Strom
Business Journal staff writer
Increased competition for clients in the past 15 years has forced lawyers to go beyond their comfort zones and get aggressive. For local law firms, that has meant instituting marketing plans -- which increasingly include advertising components, something looked down upon in the field for most of its history.
A new wave of advertising
Competition prompts law firms to introduce sophisticated print ads
From the April 1, 2004 print edition of the The Business Journal of Portland
Shelly Strom
Business Journal staff writer
Ancillary businesses generate law firm revenue
From the April 1, 2004 print edition of the The Business Journal of Portland
Tania Anderson
Business Journal News Service
It used to be that law firms with clients who needed nonlegal services would refer them to someone at another type of firm. Now law firms may be referring those clients to someone down the hall, in one of the law firm's own affiliate businesses.
Often today a law firm's business interests go beyond the actual practice of law.
Law firms, of course, have long offered services related to government affairs in addition to their litigation and transaction work. But in recent years they also have set up subsidiaries or divisions within the firm that provide the expertise of other professions to help clients determine the value of intellectual property, develop employee compensation packages, conduct internal investigations and deal with a variety of other issues.
Collegial to corporate: Law firms are changing
From the April 1, 2004 print edition of the The Business Journal of Portland
Alan Mark
Business Journal News Service
Over the past 30 to 35 years, the practice of law has evolved from a "professional calling" -- something akin to a noble intellectual pursuit of truth and fairness -- to a service business.
Truth, fairness and intellectual honesty still no doubt are critical and distinguishing aspects of the profession, but today in the larger metropolitan areas a law practice truly is a business. This is true not only for the national and international megafirms but also for the local two-lawyer firms.
The shifting economics have had a significant impact on a time-honored institution: partnership in a law firm.
Perhaps the single most important force driving the change is eroding profit margins.
Law firms boost emphasis on rainmaking skills
From the April 1, 2004 print edition of the The Business Journal of Portland
Robert Goldfield
Business Journal staff writer
The means by which lawyers generate new business remains fairly consistent: look to better serve existing clients, become better known among colleagues through bar activities and serving civic or charitable causes.
In these competitive times, however, law firms are asking their attorneys to better plan their business generation, or rainmaking activities, and to more clearly account for the time they devote to those activities.
Most firms require 2,300 to 2,400 hours per year from each of their lawyers, said Doug Davis, chief marketing officer at Bullivant Houser Bailey PC. About 1,850 of those are billable hours, charged to clients. They'll devote the rest of that time to marketing activities and leadership in the firm and the bar."
