In Business

Top law firms still tops in rates, billable hours

Monday 14th Jan 2013

This article was posted on the Hildebrandt Institute blog on January 10, 2013 by Kandy Hopkins. The top firms continue to charge the highest rates, bill the most hours and otherwise control the billing conversation—though a rise in alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) and the need for improved practice efficiency is likely, or so say several ...

Expert witnesses can reduce your litigation costs

Monday 7th Jan 2013

This post was written by Patricia Taylor. Expert witnesses are a necessity in many cases. Often times, the first thought that comes to mind upon deciding whether to hire an expert witness is “What is this going to cost?” While it’s true that many experts have very high fees, employing an expert witness can actually ...

New Year’s resolution: Generating loyal clients

Wednesday 2nd Jan 2013

This post was written by Dave Whiteside, account executive, Large Law Firm segment Have you ever really thought about the difference between a satisfied client, and a loyal client? In November, at a Legal Marketing Association conference in Charlotte, my friend Peter Johnson of Law Practice Consultants was speaking on the subject of “Achieving Client ...

Informal mentoring relationships lead to a greater value for young lawyers and law students

Monday 17th Dec 2012

This post was written by Mark Korf, director of business development and new lawyer training, Large Law Firm segment Mentoring between seasoned lawyers and those new to the profession has always played a prominent role in the legal profession and the professional development of young lawyers. Dating back to the early days when individuals became lawyers ...

The art of avoiding unpleasant surprises in proper due diligence

Thursday 13th Dec 2012

Conducting proper due diligence in today’s business environment is critical to avoiding potential disaster. Even a single bad deal or business relationship can lead to losses; expose the business to legal and regulatory action, including lawsuits; and distract management from more important matters. And rising regulatory requirements are increasing the responsibilities facing businesses as well ...

Stop doing the legal limbo

Wednesday 12th Dec 2012

This post was written by Dave Whiteside, account executive, Large Law Firm segment Last week I added Charlotte to the list of conferences I’ve attended where a panel of in-house counsel talks about how they hire outside counsel. They discuss the processes and methods they use, and the law firm limbo they often witness when ...

What the commission to study the reform of chapter 11 means to you

Monday 3rd Dec 2012

This post was written by Peter Lippmann, national account representative, Large Law Firm segment We are constantly and continuously inundated with information about the current state of our economy and the need for further reform to prevent potential economic issues. And nothing impacts the business market more than bankruptcies, something we often see evidenced in ...

Trademarks and the Aesthetic Functionality Doctrine

Friday 30th Nov 2012

This post was co-authored by Casey Hall, Sr. Marketer, and Will Ashenmacher, FindLaw Blog Writer Some trademarks are fairly obvious. Other times, there may be a legitimate question as to the scope of trademark protection for a specific design aspect of a product. In these closer cases, courts must rely upon legal treatises and other ...

Competitive information vs. competitive intelligence: Effectively using what you find

Monday 26th Nov 2012

This post was written by Janet Bennett, national manager, Monitor Suite As I’m meeting with firms to discuss business development and competitive intelligence tools, I’m often asked, “What are other firms doing?” The answer varies greatly between firms. Some large firms are quite sophisticated in their practices, preparing briefing books for their attorneys that include ...

Scarborough entertains, encourages working together

Wednesday 21st Nov 2012

Law firm leaders from across the country and throughout the world gathered recently in San Francisco for the 17th annual Law Firm Leaders Forum. The forum discussed how global economics and politics are impacting the legal industry and the challenges firms are facing. A highlight of the conference was keynote speaker Joe Scarborough, co-host of ...

Discovery: Hope may be the right strategy

Monday 12th Nov 2012

This post was written by Allison Guidette, managing director of Large Law Firms I know. The title is, at best, counter-intuitive. Not exactly the lesson learned in any management class.  But when discussing discovery it has some merit… Having just had a baby, I recently learned how to correctly assemble an outfit with more snaps ...

The challenge of thriving in today’s economic climate

Monday 5th Nov 2012

This post was written by Allison Guidette, managing direct of Large Law Firms Over the past five years, the legal industry has gone through substantial change and the economics of many law firms have evolved in kind. The credit crisis hit mid-2008 causing a big dip in demand for just about all legal services immediately ...

Peer Monitor Index falls again in third quarter

Monday 5th Nov 2012

The Peer Monitor Economic Index (PMI), which measures the relative health of the legal marketplace, fell one point in the third quarter to a reading of 50, its second consecutive quarterly decline.  According to the Q3 report, weakening demand for law firm services combined with rising costs continue to curtail firm profitability. A copy of ...

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