The Hildebrandt Institute Peer Monitor Economic Index (PMI), which measures the relative health of the legal marketplace, fell four points in the second quarter of 2012 to a reading of 51, its third decline in the last four quarters. PMI is a composite index of law firm market performance using real-time data drawn from major …
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US and UK M&A activity up in Q2
Global M&A activity remained slow in the second quarter, with deal volume sitting at its lowest levels in three years, according to the latest M&A Trends & Insight for Lawyers report from Thomson Reuters Business Law Advisor – M&A. U.S. and UK M&A activity, however, bucked the global trend, with volume up 14 percent and …
- July 27, 2012
- Scott Augustin
The key role of librarians in knowledge management
As firms strive for greater efficiency and delivering greater value to clients, knowledge management system can help firms by streamlining search. Because of their skill set and experience, librarians are uniquely positioned to help firms get the most out of their knowledge management systems. According to the 2011 ALM Law Librarian Survey, 57 percent are …
- July 22, 2012
- Gretchen DeSutter
Law firm mergers up in 2012
Law firm mergers in the first half of 2012 were up compared with the same period last year, according to the latest Hildebrandt Institute MergerWatch Report. The Hildebrandt Institute tracked five completed mergers that involved U.S. firms in the second quarter of the year. This brings the total for the first half of 2012 to 25, …
- July 3, 2012
- Scott Augustin
Eight percent of Americans have embellished their resume, says new FindLaw.com survey
If you’ve ever stretched, padded, exaggerated or outright lied on your resume, look out. A new survey from FindLaw says that 36% of people who pad their resume said that the deception was later discovered, and the most common result was loss of a job. The survey found that eight percent of Americans admit to embellishing their …
- May 23, 2012
- Jeff McCoy
Finding greater efficiencies in firms
The buzzword in a lot of firms these days is “efficiency”. Firms are under pressures from client to demonstrate greater value in the services they provide. That often means achieving greater efficiency in how the firm manages cases. The result is often higher productivity for the firm, and lower costs for the client, creating a …
- May 14, 2012
- Susan Martin
Convincing the CFO to invest in legal department efficiency
Corporate CFOs have increasingly become concerned about controlling costs – including costs in the legal department, which can capture a non-trivial portion of an organization’s budget. This can create challenges for legal departments that are seeking to improve their technology systems and efficiency. Catherine Dunn of Corporate Counsel recently spoke with Rob Thomas, vice president, Market Development …
- May 9, 2012
- Jeff McCoy
Lawyer employs technology to improve service, lower costs
Emerging trends, such as mobile computing, are enabling attorneys to improve time management and deliver better service to their clients, ultimately making them more competitive in today’s economy. Houston-based attorney Tim Johnson, a technology enthusiast, uses mobile solutions to improve his work efficiency while on the go and, his clients are seeing the results. Johnson, …
- May 2, 2012
- Jeff McCoy
Peer Monitor Index rises in first quarter – demand up slightly, but expenses rising as well
The Hildebrandt Institute’s Peer Monitor Index (PMI) rebounded 6 points to 55 in the first quarter – reversing two consecutive quarterly declines. Demand growth was back on a positive track. However, the good news was dampened by expense growth, which continues to accelerate, reducing firm profitability. After a weak finish to 2011, demand for legal services was …
- April 27, 2012
- Scott Augustin
Serengeti launches Professional Services and new partner program
Serengeti Law, part of Thomson Reuters and provider of Serengeti TrackerTM – the legal profession’s most widely used and highest rated e-billing and matter management platform – announced the creation of two customer-focused programs to extend and enhance current support and service offerings: Serengeti Professional Services and the Serengeti Services & Solutions Partner Program. Serengeti Professional …
- April 26, 2012
- Jeff McCoy
