Tag: law firm leadership

The National Law Review’s Legal Industry Overview: July 22, 2019

The National Law Review staff uses this space to explore and recognize law firm changes, including new law firm hires. Additionally, we like to highlight law firm awards and individual attorney achievements, as well as explore technology and software developments that make legal research and law firm management easier and more efficient.

Law Firm Additions, Promotions and Hires

Bracewell LLP announced they added two public finance partners, Bill Mahomes and E. Steve Bolden II. The men have been practicing together for the past ten years, and they both have extensive experience in public finance projects.  Bracewell Managing Partner, Gregory M. Bopp says, “Bill and Steve are exceptional public finance lawyers. They have a strong public finance practice in Dallas and across Texas that will deepen the capabilities of our nationally-recognized team.”

Mahomes has experience in public infrastructure projects and P3s, and has served on the board of directors of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the Texas Turnpike Authority, giving his advice the heft of on the ground experience.  Bolden, along with his public finance work, also practices in corporate and securities law; specifically, experience in mergers and acquisitions in public and private companies.  In terms of his public finance practice, he focuses on bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriters’ counsel matters.

Alan Brunswick MSK Attorney
Alan M. Brunswick

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp announced that Alan M. Brunswick will join the firm as a partner in the Los Angeles office.  Brunswick has established a practice representing clients in labor relations matters, specifically in the media and entertainment industry. His experience spans wrongful termination, employment discrimination, wage and hour as well as ERISA disputes in union and non-union settings. Before moving to law firms, Brunswick was the former Vice President and in-house counsel for the Association of Motion Picture & Television Producers.  Kevin Gaut, chairman of MSK, praises Brunswick’s reputation for creativity and intelligence, and he says, “Adding Alan to our team of sophisticated entertainment industry labor attorneys only strengthens MSK’s standing as a go-to firm for companies facing tough negotiations.”

Perkins Coie announced their Labor & Employment practice added three new partners—Richard B. Hankins and Brennan W. Bolt to their Dallas office, and Seth H. Borden to the Washington DC office.  All three bring experience in labor relations advising, and have experience working with corporations and in working with the NLRB.

Hankins has over twenty years of experience working with companies on a wide range of labor relations issues; with specific emphasis on working with companies on labor relations strategies during acquisitions and divestitures, as well as plant reorganizations.  Additionally, Hankins has experience before the NLRB and the US Circuit Courts of Appeals, arguing cases in over 15 regions of the NLRB.  Borden has built his career on helping organizations navigate labor relations strategies, including helping to negotiate collective bargaining agreements and labor arbitrations.  He has specific expertise in social media and other communications technologies and how they integrate into labor law.  Brennan works with employers, providing counsel on unfair labor practice proceedings, collective bargaining, strikes and boycotts.  He has litigated on the employer side on Title VII, the ADA, FMLA, FLSA, trade secrets and non-compete claims. Ann Marie Painter, Chair of the Perkins Coie Labor & Employment practice calls the addition of the attorneys a “valuable resource.”  She says, “When it comes to the labor and employment space, this group has a stellar and nationally recognized reputation as the go-to team for some of the world’s largest companies. They have successfully handled large-scale ‘bet-the-company’ labor cases, but can also nimbly aid employers of all sizes with their day-to-day labor issues.”

Additionally, Perkins Coie announced that Joydeep Dasmunshi has joined the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) practice as a partner in the Chicago office.  Dasmunshi has focused on middle-market M&A transactions, and his record includes a $4.25 billion airline acquisition, a $1.75 billion sale of a global valuation, corporate finance and governance-related advisor company to a private equity firm two years ago, and work with various middle-market portfolio companies in technology, media, financial services and healthcare.

Pallavi Banerjee
Pallavi Banerjee, PhD

Pallavi Banerjee, Ph.D. joins Womble Bond Dickinson as a Science Advisor in the firm’s Boston office. A former fellow with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Banerjee’s background in cell biology, cancer biology and immunology assists life sciences clients develop their patent portfolios.  She has experience working with biotech companies and universities on IP due diligence and drafting and prosecution of patent applications with the USPTO. Her research on cellular and molecular mechanisms of diseases and how to identify therapeutic targets using in vitro and in vivo mechanisms have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cancer Research, Cancer Letters, and International Immunology.

Venable recently announced that Paul C. Levin has joined the firm as a partner in the Real Estate Practice.  Levin has experience at all levels of the real estate transaction process, and he has worked on some of the most recognizable projects in the Bay Area.  Levin is a LEED Green Associate and is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Northern California chapter.  Additionally, he has experience with P3 projects.  He will be working in Venable’s Baltimore and San Francisco offices.  Levin is excited about his bicoastal work with Venable, saying, “The firm’s deep practice and stellar reputation will allow me to continue to grow as a deal lawyer. I am thankful to have the opportunity to continue to build my Bay Area practice while returning to my hometown to expand my East Coast deal flow.”

Law Firm Recognition and Accolades

John Allen, of Varnum, was recently appointed to the Ethics and Professionalism Standing Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurances Practice Section of the American Bar Association.  Allen, who focuses his practice on business and commercial litigation, has served this committee devoted to consideration and understanding of issues on attorneys maintaining professional independence, at several points throughout his career.  Along with being certified as a civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, he is also a certified arbitrator and mediator.

Carmen Cole Polsinelli Attorney
Carmen Cole

Labor and Employment Attorney Carmen Cole, with Polsinelli, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Public Counsel.  Public Counsel is a non-profit dedicated to providing legal services to individuals, families, veterans and immigrants who live below the poverty level and do not have access to legal representation.  In order to address civil rights and systemic issues facing this population, the group works with volunteers from major law firms and corporations.

Cole, a Principal in Polsinelli’s LA and SF office, says, “Public Counsel plays a critical role ensuring that individuals in underserved communities within the Los Angeles area have access to quality legal representation,” said Cole. “I am honored and humbled to be a part of this mission. As someone from an environment where statistically it would have been more likely for me to have become a client of Public Counsel rather than a member of its Board of Directors, this appointment will provide an opportunity to pay it forward. This is a great way to give back to the Los Angeles community.”

Cole has a long list of community volunteer and leadership roles. She has been active with the California Minority Counsel Program; she has worked hard to make the legal industry more accessible to women and minorities.   Cole has also contributed her time in raising awareness and funds for the African American Chamber of Commerce’s (GLAAC) Education Fund & Foundation program.

For the sixth year in a row, Davis Wright Tremaine was named one of the country’s Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother magazine in conjunction with the ABA Journal. This accolade recognizes the firm’s success in retaining and recruiting women attorneys, the firm’s family-friendly policies and the resulting high number of women in leadership roles. Women comprise 27% of the equity partners at Davis Wright Tremaine.  The magazine highlighted the firm’s Mentoring Circles program, which was recently revamped and now helps support over 100 women attorneys at all levels in the firm.

Labor and Employment law firm, Jackson Lewis was also one of the 60 firms recognized by Working Mother magazine as a “Best Law Firm for Women.” Firm Co-Chairs Kevin G. Lauri and William J. Anthony  say they are pleased with the firm’s designation by the magazine, and they “consider it to be a direct result of the firm’s inclusive culture together with our commitment to fostering the promotion of women throughout every level of the firm.”

Meredith Borgas, editor-in-chief of Working Mother, says she hopes the magazine’s accolade highlights best practices for law firms and encourages others in the industry to follow suit.  She says, “It’s heartening to see the progress women lawyers are making at firms committed to fully utilizing these attorneys’ abilities. The war for talent is increasing incentives for law firms to invest in retaining women lawyers, which is why we’re seeing more women’s initiatives and parental-support groups.”

Daniel Wolf
Dan Wolf

Dan Wolf, an Associate with Gilbert LLP, was recently honored with the Making Justice Real Pro Bono Award by the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia.  Wolf has an outstanding record in pro bono achievement, having worked with clients referred from Legal Aid and leading pro bono efforts at his firm; which he has done since he joined Gilbert in 2012.  Wolf has worked with pro bono clients on consumer law matters, rental housing and public benefits, and he has recruited colleagues to take on these matters as well.  Scott Gilbert, the founder and Chairman of Gilbert LLP, says Wolf “sets an example for the firm.  We are both very proud and quite fortunate to have Dan as a colleague.”

Legal Industry Tech, Tools &

Thomson Reuters recently announced Westlaw Edge Quick Check, designed to harness AI technology to streamline and supercharge legal research.  Quick Check allows Westlaw users to go over documents with citations to ensure everything is covered and no major points were missed. By uploading a document into Quick Check, users can have the text analyzed and Quick Check will identify the legal issues at hand, offering recommendations of relevant to the issues in the document that are not cited.  Users can filter results based on previous reviews, and additional indicators are assigned based on established categories.  Quick check is integrated with KeyCite to catch cases that are bad law, to ensure the results are accurate.  Additionally, QuickCheck can be used to identify weakness in briefs, highlighting citations that are invalidated or overturned, and can find citations that were passed over but are relevant.

Khalid Al-Kofahi, vice president of Research & Development at Thomson Reuters says:

We’ve built Westlaw Edge Quick Check to be very sophisticated in terms of selecting which language and citations to extract from motions and briefs, and it executes several search strategies, sifts through primary and secondary law results, follows citation networks, and finds and filters by Key Numbers, courts and other data attributes. In doing so, it often considers hundreds of thousands of possibilities – far more than any researcher could go through, even if he or she had all day to do it – yet it returns a concise report of relevant material that might have been missed in a traditional research process.

Wilson Allen, a software and technical services provider for professional services law firms, and ClearlyRated, a client satisfaction, service quality research provider,  have teamed up to help law firms take client experience data to distill actionable insights for business development. Norm Mullock, Vice President of Strategy at Wilson Allen, says, “After experiencing the ClearlyRated client survey program first-hand, it became clear that real-time insight into client experience would be a pivotal improvement for the firms that we work with.”

This partnership will allow law firms to maximize the data available in both client feedback and business analytics to provide the tools needed for data-driven decision making. The companies have launched an API Integration that pairs the ClearlyRated Client’s Service program with business intelligence tools in order to ensure those data points are available for business planning.  Eric Gregg, ClearlyRated’s CEO, says, “The client experience is important to all professional services businesses, but it is also a prime opportunity for law firms to differentiate from the competition. Our partnership with Wilson Allen will ensure that the law firms we serve have access to measurable insight on the client experience in a way that supplements business intelligence and informs strategies for growth.”

With the need for efficiency ever-present in legal operations, LawLytics, the leading website platform for small law firms, and PracticePanther, the cloud-based practice management system, have partnered to provide customers of both forms with native integration between their platforms.  By simply embedding some code, a law firm’s web leads and client forms can be linked to their PracticePanther account, simplifying the process of integrating new clients, setting up billing and matter management.  Instructions, with screenshots, are available and this process can be implemented with just a few clicks.

Copyright ©2019 National Law Forum, LLC
For more legal industry updates, please see the National Law Review Law Office Management page.

NLR Legal Industry News July 1, 2019: Law Firm Recognition, Tech and Talent

The legal industry is continuously changing and we want to share the good news about strategic hires and notable industry achievements. We’re also looking to pass on interesting legal tech developments that aid lawyers and law firms in streamlining and growing their practices.

Notable Legal Industry Recognitions 

The law firm of Frost, Brown & Todd was honored by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for their diversity and inclusion efforts with a 2019 Gold Standard Certification, and the firm was only one of 45 firms to receive this honor.  In order to be recognized firms had to meet a variety of criteria, including the mandatory criterion that at least 20% of all equity partners are female, or 33% or more of attorneys who became equity partners during the last year were women.  Additionally, there are other criteria that must be met, some incorporating other diversity measures including LGBT attorneys or women of color in equity partner roles.  FBT has been honored with this designation by WILEF seven times.

top-50-construction-law-firmsCarlton Fields and K&L Gates both ranked in the Construction Executive’s inaugural “The Top 50 Construction Law Firms” list. Carlton Fields’ Construction practice has received multiple accolades, including being named by Chambers USA as the No 1. Construction practice in Florida for 17 years straight. K&L Gates has over 2,000 attorneys in offices on five continents, and was named one of the top 5 firms in the inaugural edition of the list.  The list considered the number of attorneys working in the area, as well as the number of states where the firm is licensed to practice, the year the practice was established and percentage of the firm’s total revenue that comes from the Construction practice.

Wiggin and Dana LLP Corporate M&A practice was recently recognized by IFLR 1000 US 2019 edition as a Tier 1 firm for Corporate M&A work in Connecticut.  Additionally, five attorneys with Wiggin and Dana were specifically recognized: Paul Hughes, William Perrone, and Mark Kaduboski were named as Highly Regarded, while Evan Kipperman and James Greifzu were designated as Future Rising Stars.

For the fourth time, Chambers USA named McDermott Will & Emery the 2019 Healthcare Team of the Year. The health practice at McDermott earned a Band 1 ranking in the Healthcare category for the 10th year in a row earlier this year, and it is the only firm to hold that distinction.  In fact, the practice group has picked up a variety of accolades over the years, including commendations from US News and World Report and The Legal 500.  Practice Chair Eric Zimmerman says, “Our team is dedicated to helping health care companies push the boundaries of what it means to be innovative.”

Ballard Spahr attorney Judy Mok, has been named to the New York Law Journal‘s 2019 Rising Stars list. Ms. Mok has extensive experience negotiating payments transactions for some of the world’s largest retailers and financial institutions. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Mok served as Senior Payments Counsel for Apple Inc.

Per Alan S. Kaplinsky, Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group. “Judy represents the best that our legal profession has to offer—she has a sophisticated understanding of the payments ecosystem, she leads by example, and she fosters an inclusive environment.”

Legal Talent Update

EDITThomasSengelwaltSJ
Thomas J. Sengewalt

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC announced that Thomas J. Sengewalt has rejoined the firm’s Denver litigation practice.  Sengewalt has experience in energy litigation and energy transactions.  Steptoe & Johnson CEO Susan S. Brewer expressed excitement for Tom’s return to Steptoe & Johnson, saying,   “His work in litigation and transactions helped some of the Appalachian region’s largest energy producers, and we know he will bring the same skill and passion to our clients in the Rockies.”

Former Commissioner of the California Department of Business Oversight, Jan Lynn Owen joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP as a senior advisor in the financial services group.  Owen is known for her embrace of technology and using technology to foster innovation, and she worked to find banking solutions for the cannabis retail industry, working with state regulators and business owners to innovate practical and safe solutions for these businesses.  Additionally, she worked to develop fintech start-ups, working to reduce regulatory burdens in this industry while safeguarding consumer privacy. Owen says, “I knew Manatt’s financial services group would be the ideal place for me to advise and counsel businesses that face a number of complex regulatory and marketplace challenges in today’s rapidly evolving new economy.”

Feinberg Day Alberti Lim & Belloli LLP in Menlo Park, California is increasing its intellectual property punch with the addition of five intellectual property attorneys, including two new Partners Robert Kramer and Russell Tonkovich.  The firm will undergo a name change and be called: Feinberg Day Kramer Alberti Lim Tonkovich & Belloli LLP.  Kramer and Tonkovich each have assembled an impressive resume of awards and a history of winning verdicts in significant patent infringement cases.  Tonkovich is a medical doctor as well as an attorney.  Additionally, Feinberg Day is also adding attorneys Kate Hart, Aidan Brewster and Nick Martini to their IP focused law firm.  Feinberg Day was founded in 2011, and has a reputation for assisting clients in monetizing their patent portfolios.

EDITMonahanChris.WinstonStrawn.DC
Christopher B. Monahan

Winston Strawn announced the addition of Christopher B. Monahan to their Washington DC office. Monahan works with clients on compliance with International Traffic in Arms regulations, the Export Administration Regulations and sanctions programs under OFAC and FCPA.  He assists clients with internal investigations and compliance reviews, and he helps clients in determining jurisdiction and export control classification of their products and technology.  Monahan will join the firm as a partner in the White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations Practice.

Legal Technology News

Legal Services Link recently launched ioRefer™ Referral Software designed to streamline the referral process within law firms, bar associations, legal networks and corporate law departments.  ioRefer’s interactive database helps attorneys looking for assistance on particular projects to quickly post and distribute staffing needs notices either within their law firm or within a broader legal network.  Conversely, law firm attorneys or network professionals with extra capacity can search the database for staffing needs on specific projects. ioRefer for Corporate law departments simplifies the process of retaining qualified law firm talent via targeted matter postings or by searching an intuitive, current directory of qualified professionals.

Attorney and co-founder, Matthew Horn: “ioRefer solves the ineffective, outdated, manual processes used to refer and staff client matters and helps balance the workload distribution of matters to qualified professionals who are looking to take on more work.  For law firms, it keeps client matters from being sent outside the firm and at the same time helps lawyers become more interconnected with their colleagues.”

Cheryl Kaufman, CEO of Alliance Legal Solutions
Cheryl Kaufman

Alliance Legal Solutions recently launched Fundafi.com, a technology-enabled lending platform that improves access to financing for small U.S.law firms.  Fundafi’s business model is designed to nurture a law firm’s growth much like a private equity firm would do for an emerging business. Fundafi has deep knowledge of small law firm practices gained during 8 years of experience working with thousands of law firms. Alliance Legal Solutions was founded in 2011, by Cheryl Kaufman, a graduate of Wake Forest School of Law.

Over three billion images are shared online each day, and around 85% of them are unlicensed, with estimated revenue lost at more than $600 million daily,  as reported by COPYTRACK and summarized in its recently released  2019 Global Infringement Report.

Some of the more interesting findings from the 2019 report reveal that the U.S. is the world leader in image theft comprising 22.96% of worldwide theft.  But less obvious is the #2 offender, Panama, a country with four million inhabitants, comprising a 6.76% share of global image theft. This anomaly is likely the result of “Privacy Protection Services,” who registers site domains in Panama to mask the owners’ personal information. China, considered by many to be the world leader in authorized use, comes in third place with a surprisingly small 6.57%.

2018 bus email graphicCyber Special Ops, LLC, recently announced a new delivery model for cyber services called Concierge Cyber™ which is modeled after the growing practice of concierge medicine.  It includes à la carte or bundled service offerings. same day appointments, phone or email access on evenings and weekends, and pre- and post-breach services as needed at pre-negotiated rates. Breach response services are provided by My-CERT™, a team of highly credentialed legal, information security, credit and identity restoration, and public relations specialists

Per Kurtis Suhs, founder and managing director of Cyber Special Ops, LLC: “Currently only 2 of 10 organizations have purchased cyber insurance, and their policies may not cover theft of monies. So, who do organizations call in the event of a wire fraud loss on a Friday evening? Concierge Cyber makes it possible for organizations of all sizes and budgets to have immediate access to world-class cyber risk management support. The My-CERT™ team provides expertise, experience and agility to effectively respond to a cyber incident under the protection of attorney-client privilege.”

Notable legal industry news?  Submit your stories for consideration in the National Law Review’s Legal Talent and Tech Update.

Copyright ©2019 National Law Forum, LLC
For more on the business of law, please see the National Law Review Law Office Management page.

Coming up in one Week! The 26th Annual Marketing Partner Forum in January 2019

In January 2019, Marketing Partner Forum descends upon The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California for a three-day summit on law firm marketing and business development designed for the industry’s top business professionals and rainmakers. Conveniently situated near John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA), Laguna Niguel is the ideal backdrop to launch a new era of industry-leading content focused on profitability and client development in a dynamic and competitive legal services market.

Why You Should Attend:

 

  • Marketing Partner Forum is designed for client development partners, rainmakers, and the senior-most legal marketing and business development leaders across the profession.
  • Our content reflects the experience and sophistication of our international audience in terms of rigor, ambition and scope.
  • Attendees can engage venerable thought leaders both within and outside of the legal industry.
  • Our program offers ample networking opportunities and the stunning scenery, golf course, spa and hiking trails at one of California’s most idyllic resorts.
  • Participants can take advantage of our law firm partner conference track, consisting of several compelling sessions designed specifically for legal practitioners.
  • We have also created a brand new solo & small law firm track, with sessions designed for business development executives & partners alike.
  • Finally, attendees can interact directly with senior clients and network for new business;
  • Refresh & reflect at our Wednesday Welcome Luncheon and Friday Bloody Mary Brunch;
  • And depart the event with practical takeaways to share with peers and firm leadership.

 

Please Save the Date! Online registration now open.

Information about our conference venue and nearby airports is available here.

For questions about this event, please call 1-800-308-1700

Learn more and register here.

Innovation, Change and Accountability: A Way Forward for Law Firm Leadership

Law firms across the country are facing a crisis in leadership, but many of them don’t know it yet.  Despite all the challenges discussed in Part 1 of this series, many law firms, especially small and mid-sized firms,  are not changing their strategies, in fact, they keep on doing the same old things.

law firm leadership and governance

Many law firms are structured where decisions are made based on consensus, and the Managing Partner is tasked with conducting the orchestra–managing the processes, focusing on firm administration and the tasks the firm is working on.  Even though this decision and execution process is clunky, no one seems to be leaving it behind.  According to Re-Envisioning, “Most MPs enjoy the positive aspects of the MP role, but many don’t seem to want accountability or to be responsible for holding others accountable for getting results.”  Tough conversations are not had, problems are not addressed, and necessary changes are not being made because Managing Partners are not empowered to focus on the right things.  David Maister, author of True Professionalism, says, “What worries me most is not that today’s law firm leaders are often imperfect in fulfilling the role, but rather than many of them aren’t even aiming at it.”

law firm leadersHow can law firms change their leadership structure to be more like a business?

As we discussed in Part 1, one of the major recommendations of Re-Envisioning is changing the Managing Partner to a CEO, in name and in function.  This requires the MP to act more as a CEO–focusing on having tough conversations to ensure client service is provided at the highest level, and that results and profits are being made.  One suggestion is that the MP/CEO have a formal job description.  Of the MPs surveyed for Re-Envisioning, 53% indicated that they did not have a formal job description, and an additional 20% indicated that one existed, but that it was not closely followed.  In fact, only 19% of respondents indicated that they had a written job description and that it was followed, and of those 19%, 93% said that they liked having a job description–that it gave them something to “focus on.”  Armed with a title change and a job description, CEO’s are better equipped to move the firm forward in the direction it needs to go.

Other changes that can help re-shape the firm’s culture can be achieved through the Executive Committee.  Hiring a Chief Operating Officer and giving him or her a strong voice on the leadership team can help the firm keep eyes on the prize.  Additionally, Re-Envisioning suggests morphing the Executive committee so “it functions like a CEO’s senior leadership team.”

To function like a leadership team the executive committee needs to do the following:

  1. Oversee firm-wide strategic priorities
  2. Members would be elected for terms by owners on a staggered basis
  3. But with no term limits for committee members.  If someone is doing a good job in a position, you want them to keep doing a good job in that position.law firm managers managing partner

What kind of firm culture should the executive committee strive for?

Innovation, Change and Accountability are things the Executive Committee should promote in the firm.  The new culture of legal services demands creative thinking, an ability to adapt to shifting circumstances, and a willingness to hold everyone accountable for achieving results.  But what does that mean in practice? Innovation as a value will reward creativity and taking risks to find better ways to accomplish things–and looks at everything, all processes and asks “why do we do it this way?” and most importantly, makes changes as needed.  With Change, the firm and its leaders are open to new ideas, conflicting opinions and constructive feedback, always looking for better solutions and embracing changes that improve results and profitability.

Finally, accountability means the CEO:

  1. Holds himself or herself to high standards and achieving results
  2. Communicates expectations of executive committee members, stakeholders/owners and members of the firm
  3. Identifies the need for change and makes adjustments when necessary
  4. Quickly and firmly addresses problematic partners and underperformers
  5. Build trust in order to enact changes
  6. Emphasize clients first, firm second, individuals third as a guiding principle
  7. Expect others to follow his or her lead and hold others accountable for achieving results and performing at a high level

It’s clear that there is plenty of work to do in law firm leadership.  To achieve the objectives of re-orienting law firm leadership to a CEO structure, and to encourage the adoption of innovation, change and accountability as firm-wide principles, law firm leadership needs to set priorities. The survey results that Re-Envisioning was based on indicate that the top 3 contributions that leaders should focus on were Strategic objectives, being a Change agent, and making the tough decisions and holding people accountable.  These objectives can help law firm leaders make the changes in their firms that need to be made.

These recommendations may seem daunting, or a huge disruption of firm life, however, they are the changes the new industry demands.  Terry Isner, President of Marketing and Business Development at Jaffe says, “Law firm leadership isn’t about boots on the ground anymore–it’s a 10,000 foot perspective with 360-degree views of the firm, its clients and the industry as a whole at all times.  It’s being able to adapt to change quickly and making hard choices that will inspire and empower greatness.”

 law firm leaders

This is NLR’s second article on the report  Re-Envisioning the Law FIrm: How to Lead Change and Thrive in the Future  developed by the Managing Partner Forum, Jaffe, and The Remsen Group and released on December 8th.  You can read the first article here.

ARTICLE BY Eilene Spear & Jennifer Schaller of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC

Time for a Change in Law Firm Leadership: A Preview of Re-Envisioning the Law Firm

Too many lawyers.  More demanding Clients. Globalization  Industry Consolidation.  These are all factors redefining the legal industry.  Re-Envisioning the Law Firm: How to Lead Change and Thrive in the Future (Re-Envisioning) a report developed by the Managing Partner Forum (MPF), Jaffe, and The Remsen Group released on December 8th offers insight into how law firms can do exactly that.

MPF Insights Executive Summary Law Firm Leadership

​John Remsen, President and CEO of the Managing Partner Forum says, “The pace of change is unprecedented for the legal industry, and the pace will only accelerate into the future.  Strong leadership and a solid game plan are required if your firm seeks to thrive and prosper in the years ahead.”  Understanding that many law firms need to make big changes, and with the goal of offering insight to law firms looking to make those changes, the authors of Re-Envisioning analyzed data from two big surveys of Managing Partners to come up with recommendations.

How the data was collected and who participated in the surveys?

The first survey used in the Re-Envisioning report was the MPF Leadership & Governance Survey from April 2016 which asked over 145 managing partners anonymous online questions.  The questions covered law firm leadership and governance, including whether or not the Managing Partner had a job description, how he or she would describe the governance model of the firm, and whether he or she were currently grooming a successor.[i]

The second source of data was live MPF Audience Polling Results. This survey was conducted in real time with the 80 plus Managing Partners who attended the MPF Leadership Conference in May of 2016. Using audience polling technology, participants were able to answer questions instantaneously and confidentiality on a variety of subjects, including “Compared to five years ago, what is the likelihood that your best lawyers may leave the firm?” and “Is your firm providing marketing and business development training for its junior partners and associates?” The data from the surveys, combined with interviews with innovative thought leaders and influential Managing Partners are also incorporated into the reports recommendations.[ii]

Why are the changes that have been impacting BigLaw now impacting MidLaw and SmallLaw?

The MPF Report goes into more detail, but just like the other industries the legal profession needs to work smarter, faces global competition and needs to respond to the demands of an evolving workforce.  The factors that hit BigLaw over the head with a hammer a few years back are now industry-wide. Specifically:

Globalization – Technology is making the world smaller each day. Now even the smallest business law clients have international concerns.

Too Many Lawyers – Although the number of law school graduates has been dropping, technology is making law practice more efficient and older lawyers are putting off retirement. The U.S. currently has 1.3 million lawyers!

Smarter, Faster, Better – Clients want better service, more customized solutions and better value for their investment.

New Market Entrants – Technology!!!!  Think LegalZoom, AVVO, Rocket Lawyer. More routine legal work is becoming commoditized.

Industry Consolidation – The Consolidation Curve -ask an MBA. Fragmented and siloed industries consolidate as they mature.  Just like other industries, technology and economies of scale are breaking down the traditional legal market which encouraged highly regionalized and /or non collaborative legal practices.  Law firm mergers and lateral movement is at an all-time high.

Workforce Changes – Baby Boomers hanging on.  Gen x and Y and Millennials with differing career goals and work styles.

The recommendations in the report incorporate three main themes:

  1. The law firm must be run like a business (not more like a business, but like a business.)
  2. The Managing Partner must take ownership of leading the effort, and
  3. Firm owners must take responsibility for embracing, engaging, and implementing the necessary changes for operating like a business.

These themes are spread across seven areas detailed in the report; including:

    • Leadership & Governance,
    • Strategic Planning,
    • Marketing and Business Development,
    • Problematic Partners, Succession Planning,
    • Recruiting,
    • Retention,
    • and Technology.

In upcoming segments we will discuss above seven areas of concern and the survey’s recommendations designed to help small and midsize law firm move into the future.

The idea of running a law firm like a business translates into re-evaluating the leadership structure of law firms.  One of the first recommendations made in the report is to change the Managing Partner into a CEO in name and function, empowering him or her with the power to lead the organization without necessarily achieving consensus.  The report observes, “While governing by democracy might theoretically sound appealing, especially because it spreads the blame should a strategy not succeed as planned, choosing to consensus build over decision-making delays and waters down change.”  Consolidating leadership with a Managing Partner who functions more as a CEO is a step that will allow law firms to make changes in other areas much faster.

The survey also suggests strategies for working with “problematic partners,” defining the problem as partners who under perform or who exhibit bad behavior that reflects poorly on the firm–anger management issues, poor representation of the firm, rudeness and arrogance. Problematic partners can be an incredibly difficult issue to confront, especially when the issue is under performance, but the report offers suggestions and strategies for tackling these thorny issues.

​Above all, the survey insists law firms must confront them.  Louise Wells, Managing Partner of Morris, Manning & Mann, says, “The culture of your firm can be influenced by what it’s willing or not willing to tolerate.  If you’re willing to put up with chronic under performance, you most certainly will get it, and that’s not good for a firm’s long-term success or its morale.  Dealing with underperforming partners is incredibly difficult, yet so important, for a managing partner to address.”

That is just the beginning of some of the dynamic thinking presented in Re-Envisioning the Law Firm.  In the coming weeks a NLR series will preview additional insights offered in the survey from other areas of law firm leadership.

ARTICLE BY Jennifer Schaller & Eilene Spear of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC
Copyright ©2016 National Law Forum, LLC

​[i] The breakdown of the number of lawyers per firm as well as the job title of survey respondents of the first survey are illustrated below:   ​​

MPF surveyMPF Insights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ii] You can see a breakdown of the number of lawyers at the respondent’s firm and the number of years in the position below:

​​MPF surveyMPF Survey

Building a Book of Business and Advancing to Law Firm Leadership: Women who Have Navigated the Course Discuss Core Elements of Success

law firm leadership

At a time when only 4 percent of the 200 largest U.S. law firms have women in firm-wide leadership positions[1], only 19% of the equity partners at the “50 Best Law Firms for Women” are women and 96% of AmLaw firms report that their highest paid partner is male[2],  it seems opportune to see what women in leadership roles have to say about advancing to firm leadership, strategies for building a book of business, mentorship, and ways they have found and nurtured success. The National Law Review connected with attorneys Ann Zucker[3] and Anthoula Pomrening[4] at this year’s Managing Partner Forum’s Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA.  We recently had the opportunity to speak them, as well as attorney Paula Fritsch, regarding their leadership roles at their firms.

Communication, Transparency and Trust Building at all Levels of the Firm

Navigating a leadership role can be a challenge, but communication and transparency go a long way.  Zucker, of Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP, points out that “Trust among the lawyers in our firm is based upon predictability, transparency and forthrightness….the leadership team can foster that atmosphere by modeling those traits.”  Along those lines, Fritsch of McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP[5] says ” Communication is key . . . I’ve seen the biggest strides when the partnership can have open and frank discussions about an issue.  Issues that are decided through back channel and closed door discussions can result in division.” Zucker agrees, saying “Communicating with the partners and employees frequently about what is going on at the firm encourages an atmosphere of trust.”

But, trust building and effective communication doesn’t happen overnight; it is a long, strenuous process.  points out that it is not too early to begin building the trust, even if you aren’t in a position of power in your firm.  She says, “The trust building process is long term, it doesn’t begin when you start work on the Executive Committee.” Earlier leadership positions help build the trust, but being a presence at the firm and having relationships with colleagues, no matter where you are in the firm or where your career is at the moment is important.  As Pomrening,  of McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, points out, “I began as a law clerk 19 years ago; I have known many of these people for almost 20 years.”

In any leadership role, however, being able to tune into what is best for the firm as a whole is crucial.  Zucker says, “decisions in a law firm are tough because sometimes there are conflicts among what’s best for the client, what’s best for the firm and what’s best for the individual lawyer.  I think some of the blurriness disappears if you can identify the answer to each of those questions.”  Pomrening agrees, saying, “You have to think about the whole–what’s the best thing for the clients and the firm, rather than an individual attorney?  I try to stress that in whatever I do on a daily basis.  Whether it’s a pitch or identifying a leadership position for somebody else, I’m always looking at it in terms of what is best for the whole.”

Own Your Destiny – Build a Book of Business

One important thing for all attorneys and success in a law firm environment is being able to find ways to nurture and build your own book of business.  Being able to successfully generate new matters for the firm is an important step in finding success, wherever your career takes you.  Fritsch says, “You have to get yourself out there and make yourself visible.  Pick an area that interests you and become an expert in that area, and if that is in a niche space, even better.”   Ann Zucker emphasizes that the best way for individuals to generate business is to do what they like to do.  She says, “You have to do what you are comfortable doing.  If you do something you are not comfortable doing it’s going to show and it’s not going to be useful.  For example, if your thing is talking on panels on a specific topic, then do that. If you like to write articles, then focus your time on that. You don’t have enough time to do things that you don’t like or that you are not good at. But you need to figure out what’s best for you, where do you shine and focus your efforts there.”

Find Someone or a Group of Someones Who Can Help You Through the Process – Keep up Your End of the Relationship

Mentorship is also important when establishing yourself in a law firm, both in honing legal skills and building the relationships that are so crucial to generating business.  Though it can be tricky for some younger female associates to develop such relationships as the vast majority of practice groups leaders and other law firm management members are older males.  Zucker says, “A good mentor puts you in a position where you can grow and learn, and they are always going to be cognizant of that–if it’s taking you to court, bringing you to a client pitch, taking you along even if you are not necessarily needed–so you can develop relationships.  These are opportunities to develop legal skills, but also business–Clients get to see you and you have to get out there for people to get to know you.”  In order to make a mentor relationship work, it takes effort on both parts.  Paula Fritsch says, “A mentee should be open with the mentor about what they want out of the relationship, and the mentor may have different ideas for the relationship.”

As with everything, communication is key.  Zucker points out that the relationship requires time and effort, saying, “Both the mentor and the mentee need to take time to nurture the relationship.  Whether official or unofficial relationships, you need to spend time–lunch, cup of coffee, to check in to see how things are going, what opportunities they are looking for.”  As with any meaningful relationship, sometimes things need to be said that are hard to hear.  Fritsch suggests, “as a mentee, be prepared to take some criticisms from your mentor – they may have some things to share that are hard to hear, but a good mentor shares the good and the bad to help you grow.”

Another strategy Anthoula Pomrening suggests is to have a group of trusted colleagues as a sounding board.  These are individuals you can run ideas by, and try things out on to see how they sound or how to approach a problem.  By trying different approaches–out loud, you can get a sense of what resonates and perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t. Pomrening says, “This group can help you address certain situations that you aren’t sure how to approach, and it is very useful.”

Even though women and men enter law school in equal numbers, and work next to each other as associates in equal numbers, a huge disparity in leadership positions and income still exists at law firms. Women who have moved up in the ranks despite the odds, build trust and relationships early in their careers and as they advance. Young female law firm associates who want to advance and prosper generally do best when they find not only a mentor, but a sponsor or community of advisors who can help them navigate the hidden rules of advancement in their firm’s hierarchy and discover the tools necessary to build a book of business.

It’s been noted in numerous surveys and articles that female attorney’s median billable and total hours generally lag male attorneys at all levels.   However, for nonbillable hours, women above the associate level record significantly more hours than male attorneys.[6]    Many thanks to the women who took the time to contribute their thoughts, suggestions and nonbillable time to this article.

ARTICLE BY Eilene Spear & Jennifer Schaller of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC
Copyright ©2016 National Law Forum, LLC

[1] Large Law Firms are Failing Women Lawyers, the Washington Post, February 18, 2014

[2] Catalyst.org March 3, 2015 Women in Law in Canda and U.S.

[3] Ann Zucker is the Managing Partner of Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP,  a  Connecticut-based business law firm.

[4] Anthoula Pomrening is an Intellectual Property partner with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP.

[5] Paula S. Fritsch, Ph.D. is an Intellectual Property partner with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP in Chicago.

[6] National Association of Women Lawyers and NAWL Foundation Releases Seventh Annual Survey, ABA Young Lawyers Division, October 22, 2012

The Evolving Role of Today's Law Firm Leaders

The National Law Review is in attendance at the 23rd Managing Partner Forum today in Atlanta, Georgia. NLR Managing Director Jennifer Schaller is moderating a collaborative panel discussing investing in clients. Check out the below article by founder of the Managing Partner Forum, John Remsen.

We all know that the legal profession has changed dramatically over the past two decades, resulting in a new set of challenges that yesterday’s firm leaders never had to confront. There’s an oversupply of lawyers. More demanding and less loyal clients. More demanding and less loyal partners and associates. Staggering advances in technology. Tort reform in many jurisdictions. Skyrocketing operating expenses. Mergers and acquisitions and unprecedented competition. Certainly these and other trends have created tremendous pressures for law firm leaders—who must change the way they operate if their firms are to remain viable in the long run.

Yet most aren’t keeping pace. In the midst of all the change, far too many firms haven’t changed much at all. They run essentially the same way they did 20 years ago—like loose confederations of solo practitioners sharing office space.

Why? According to nationally known lawyer-psychologist Dr. Larry Richard and his groundbreaking research on the subject, most lawyers hate change. They also love autonomy and resist rules and structure. They have little patience and want immediate results. They don’t like risk and shun the unknown. So for many firms, it’s easier just to leave things alone.

On the other hand, some firms “get it.” These firms are fundamentally changing the way they do business, with streamlined governance, standardized systems and procedures, strategic plans, and marketing and business development programs. They enforce minimum performance standards for partners and associates. Many are also divesting themselves of low-profit clients and practice groups. They are deequating underperforming shareholders and asking disruptive lawyers—even those with big books of business—to leave. These firms are emerging as the front-runners in the market because their top levels of leadership have the moxie and vision to make change happen.

The Firm Leader as Change Agent

In today’s most successful law firms, the role of managing partner has evolved significantly, from that of a “caretaker” trying not to rock the boat to that of a dynamic consensus builder and change agent. Today the managing partner is the CEO of a multimillion-dollar entity in a rapidly changing industry and needs to exercise critical leadership skills to set the example for leaders at all other levels of the firm and thus ensure the organization’s success.

Of course, knowing that you need to set the course to success and actually doing it can be difficult, given the press of countless to-dos firm leaders tackle every day. Consider this: Last year TheRemsenGroup surveyed more than 170 managing partners from firms ranging in size from 10 to 2,200 lawyers. Of those firms, 60 percent had more than 50 lawyers. When they were asked what their most important contributions were in their roles as managing partner, building consensus among shareholders and initiating change topped the list of responses. In contrast, when asked where they spent most of their time, day-to-day administration ate up way too much of it.

We also asked if these managing partners had a job description: 74 percent did not. In addition, 76 percent did not have a clearly defined exit strategy.

What can we take from this? Too many leaders at the top levels of law firms are winging it.

Steps to More Effective Leadership

A successful firm leader must be a visionary, a communicator, a negotiator, a coach, a disciplinarian, a cheerleader and a psychologist all wrapped up in one person. Needless to say, it’s not an easy job, especially when you add management responsibilities to the mix.

There are, however, steps that the top levels of firm leadership can take to enhance their effectiveness and improve the performance of their organizations. Here, in a nutshell, is the guidebook.

  • Codify the Top Leader’s Job

Every managing partner should have a well-defined job description. It should set forth the primary responsibilities of the position, the amount of time required, and how the partner will be compensated for his or her nonbillable contributions. Also, it should account for the fact that a managing partner’s time should be spent mostly in the areas of planning, communication and consensus building. Day-to-day administration functions should be delegated to a capable administrator.

  • Appoint Strong Group Leaders

A firm needs strong leadership at all levels. Unfortunately, departments and practice groups are too often led by the most senior lawyer or the lawyer with the biggest book of business when, in fact, that may not be the right person for the job. Passion, commitment and leadership skills are required for these important roles. To help ensure the right people are put in the right positions, department heads, practice group chairs and branch office managing partners need job descriptions, just like the managing partner does.

  • Develop a Firmwide Strategic Plan

The evidence is clear. Firms that have plans outperform those that do not. Planning helps to bring everybody onto the same page, sharing the same vision for the future. Firm leaders have to embrace and encourage the planning process and the plan’s implementation at the firm, practice group and individual lawyer levels.

  • Build a Firm-First Culture

Leaders should always encourage and reward a “firm-first” mind-set and attitude among all the firm’s members. There are a variety of ways to do this, including through compensation mechanisms, but even simple steps can prove very effective. For example, insist on the term “our” clients instead of “mine” and “yours.” Leaders must do everything possible to promote trust, teamwork and fairness within the firm.

  • Lead by Example

Managing partners and practice group leaders cannot be hypocrites. They must “walk the talk” by being first in submitting their individual marketing plans, getting their time records in, mentoring younger colleagues, returning client phone calls and otherwise setting the standard for everyone in the firm.

  • Invest in the Future

According to LexisNexis’s 2007 Juris Law Firm Economic Survey, the top performing and most profitable law firms spend more per person than underperforming firms do. They are investing in the future. The lesson: Resist the temptation to enhance profitably through cost cutting. That’s a short-term fix. Profitable firms look at long-term impacts.

  • Groom Successor Leaders

The best leaders are wise enough to identify and mentor a successor for their roles. They give that person important, high-profile assignments so that the firm’s people gain trust and confidence in the successor’s leadership skills well before the torch is actually passed. In addition, managing partners in particular should have a well-defined exit strategy that is communicated to all shareholders.

  • Be Passionate

They sure don’t teach much about leadership in law schools. But that’s not an excuse for failing to strive to be the best firm leader you can be. There are many intricacies involved in steering a firm toward top performance in times of change. To learn more about them, you should attend leadership conferences and ask your firm for training. Read books and articles. Learn from other managing partners and practice group chairs. It’s important for leaders to demonstrate that they’re devoted to excellence. -After all, if the leader isn’t committed, there aren’t likely to be many followers—and the firm will stagnate as a result. Those firms with strong, passionate and committed leaders, on the other hand, will emerge as the most successful law firms of the future.

Article By John Remsen, Jr of The Remsen Group
Copyright 2016 The Remsen Group

The Evolving Role of Today’s Law Firm Leaders

The National Law Review is in attendance at the 23rd Managing Partner Forum today in Atlanta, Georgia. NLR Managing Director Jennifer Schaller is moderating a collaborative panel discussing investing in clients. Check out the below article by founder of the Managing Partner Forum, John Remsen.

We all know that the legal profession has changed dramatically over the past two decades, resulting in a new set of challenges that yesterday’s firm leaders never had to confront. There’s an oversupply of lawyers. More demanding and less loyal clients. More demanding and less loyal partners and associates. Staggering advances in technology. Tort reform in many jurisdictions. Skyrocketing operating expenses. Mergers and acquisitions and unprecedented competition. Certainly these and other trends have created tremendous pressures for law firm leaders—who must change the way they operate if their firms are to remain viable in the long run.

Yet most aren’t keeping pace. In the midst of all the change, far too many firms haven’t changed much at all. They run essentially the same way they did 20 years ago—like loose confederations of solo practitioners sharing office space.

Why? According to nationally known lawyer-psychologist Dr. Larry Richard and his groundbreaking research on the subject, most lawyers hate change. They also love autonomy and resist rules and structure. They have little patience and want immediate results. They don’t like risk and shun the unknown. So for many firms, it’s easier just to leave things alone.

On the other hand, some firms “get it.” These firms are fundamentally changing the way they do business, with streamlined governance, standardized systems and procedures, strategic plans, and marketing and business development programs. They enforce minimum performance standards for partners and associates. Many are also divesting themselves of low-profit clients and practice groups. They are deequating underperforming shareholders and asking disruptive lawyers—even those with big books of business—to leave. These firms are emerging as the front-runners in the market because their top levels of leadership have the moxie and vision to make change happen.

The Firm Leader as Change Agent

In today’s most successful law firms, the role of managing partner has evolved significantly, from that of a “caretaker” trying not to rock the boat to that of a dynamic consensus builder and change agent. Today the managing partner is the CEO of a multimillion-dollar entity in a rapidly changing industry and needs to exercise critical leadership skills to set the example for leaders at all other levels of the firm and thus ensure the organization’s success.

Of course, knowing that you need to set the course to success and actually doing it can be difficult, given the press of countless to-dos firm leaders tackle every day. Consider this: Last year TheRemsenGroup surveyed more than 170 managing partners from firms ranging in size from 10 to 2,200 lawyers. Of those firms, 60 percent had more than 50 lawyers. When they were asked what their most important contributions were in their roles as managing partner, building consensus among shareholders and initiating change topped the list of responses. In contrast, when asked where they spent most of their time, day-to-day administration ate up way too much of it.

We also asked if these managing partners had a job description: 74 percent did not. In addition, 76 percent did not have a clearly defined exit strategy.

What can we take from this? Too many leaders at the top levels of law firms are winging it.

Steps to More Effective Leadership

A successful firm leader must be a visionary, a communicator, a negotiator, a coach, a disciplinarian, a cheerleader and a psychologist all wrapped up in one person. Needless to say, it’s not an easy job, especially when you add management responsibilities to the mix.

There are, however, steps that the top levels of firm leadership can take to enhance their effectiveness and improve the performance of their organizations. Here, in a nutshell, is the guidebook.

  • Codify the Top Leader’s Job

Every managing partner should have a well-defined job description. It should set forth the primary responsibilities of the position, the amount of time required, and how the partner will be compensated for his or her nonbillable contributions. Also, it should account for the fact that a managing partner’s time should be spent mostly in the areas of planning, communication and consensus building. Day-to-day administration functions should be delegated to a capable administrator.

  • Appoint Strong Group Leaders

A firm needs strong leadership at all levels. Unfortunately, departments and practice groups are too often led by the most senior lawyer or the lawyer with the biggest book of business when, in fact, that may not be the right person for the job. Passion, commitment and leadership skills are required for these important roles. To help ensure the right people are put in the right positions, department heads, practice group chairs and branch office managing partners need job descriptions, just like the managing partner does.

  • Develop a Firmwide Strategic Plan

The evidence is clear. Firms that have plans outperform those that do not. Planning helps to bring everybody onto the same page, sharing the same vision for the future. Firm leaders have to embrace and encourage the planning process and the plan’s implementation at the firm, practice group and individual lawyer levels.

  • Build a Firm-First Culture

Leaders should always encourage and reward a “firm-first” mind-set and attitude among all the firm’s members. There are a variety of ways to do this, including through compensation mechanisms, but even simple steps can prove very effective. For example, insist on the term “our” clients instead of “mine” and “yours.” Leaders must do everything possible to promote trust, teamwork and fairness within the firm.

  • Lead by Example

Managing partners and practice group leaders cannot be hypocrites. They must “walk the talk” by being first in submitting their individual marketing plans, getting their time records in, mentoring younger colleagues, returning client phone calls and otherwise setting the standard for everyone in the firm.

  • Invest in the Future

According to LexisNexis’s 2007 Juris Law Firm Economic Survey, the top performing and most profitable law firms spend more per person than underperforming firms do. They are investing in the future. The lesson: Resist the temptation to enhance profitably through cost cutting. That’s a short-term fix. Profitable firms look at long-term impacts.

  • Groom Successor Leaders

The best leaders are wise enough to identify and mentor a successor for their roles. They give that person important, high-profile assignments so that the firm’s people gain trust and confidence in the successor’s leadership skills well before the torch is actually passed. In addition, managing partners in particular should have a well-defined exit strategy that is communicated to all shareholders.

  • Be Passionate

They sure don’t teach much about leadership in law schools. But that’s not an excuse for failing to strive to be the best firm leader you can be. There are many intricacies involved in steering a firm toward top performance in times of change. To learn more about them, you should attend leadership conferences and ask your firm for training. Read books and articles. Learn from other managing partners and practice group chairs. It’s important for leaders to demonstrate that they’re devoted to excellence. -After all, if the leader isn’t committed, there aren’t likely to be many followers—and the firm will stagnate as a result. Those firms with strong, passionate and committed leaders, on the other hand, will emerge as the most successful law firms of the future.

Article By John Remsen, Jr of The Remsen Group
Copyright 2016 The Remsen Group