Legal Marketing & Consulting

Recession-Proof Your Practice

10 tips to protect your firm in the toughest times

Jan 1, 2009 11:40 AM CST

Firm Shares ‘Little Black Book’ With Clients

Lawyers at the Minneapolis firm Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg and Gotlieb have found a unique gift for clients, a “Little Black Book” of favorites, everything from contacts for beloved artists and architects to recommendations for travel agents, barbers and bakeries. The book, written in the recommending lawyer’s actual handwriting, is embellished…

Dec 24, 2008 5:32 PM CST

Firm Leverages Billable Hour Animosity to Lure Clients

Question: How Many Lawyers Does it Take to Screw a Client? Answer: With billable hours, only one. The Q&A above is just one of the many punches that self-proclaimed BigLaw refugees at Valorem Law Group, a Chicago business litigation boutique, are throwing against the billing practices of their former firms.…

Dec 18, 2008 5:00 PM CST

Most Big Law Firms Report No Unusual Problems with Credit and Collections

Big law firms haven’t yet felt the full effects of the economic downturn, according to a new survey. Most large law firms are still on sound financial footing, according to the survey (PDF) by legal consulting firm Altman Weil. Most firms did not experience more difficulty obtaining credit, and their…

Dec 16, 2008 1:27 PM CST

Strong Law Firms Stress Productivity Above Collegiality, Consultant Says

Many partners will pick collegiality as the most important element of a strong law firm culture. But a consultant whose firm advised two dissolving law firms would disagree. Peter Zeughauser lists four essential ingredients of a strong law firm culture, and collegiality isn’t among them. His article in the American…

Dec 11, 2008 4:38 PM CST

Downturn Could Make Recommended Legal Staffing Ratios a Reality

The longtime recommendation for lawyer staff ratios has been three lawyers for every one secretary. Recent staff cuts at law firms, spurred by the economic downturn, could finally bring more law firms into compliance. Legal staffing at the top law firms is down 18 percent through September, according to a…

Dec 10, 2008 3:55 PM CST

Revenue per Lawyer at Big Firms is Up, But Layoffs are the Reason

Revenue per lawyer at large law firms is up 1.5 percent, but it would likely have been in the negative numbers if the calculation had included lawyers laid off this year. The survey by Wachovia’s legal specialty group found that gross revenue at large firms was up 7 percent through…

Dec 10, 2008 1:32 PM CST

IP Firm Cuts Rates for Recession-Weary Clients

An Atlanta-area law firm has vowed to help clients suffering under the country’s economic recession with a break in attorney fees. Starting in January, Gardner Groff Greenwald & Villanueva will reduce its flat-fee rate by 12 percent, according to a statement on its website and a report in the Atlanta…

Dec 4, 2008 9:06 PM CST

Business Development Director Helps Law Firms Go Green to Make Green

According to Alvidas Jasin (PDF), director of business development for Thompson Hine, one of the surest ways to incite eco-friendly practices inside law firms comes from a different kind of green: money. More corporations are “going green” and are focusing on being environmentally conscious, Jasin says. “That means hiring law…

Dec 3, 2008 5:39 PM CST

Ex-DOJ Official on Leave from Hunton as US Attorney Probe Progresses

The former chief of staff for ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has taken a leave of absence from Hunton & Williams as an investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys progresses. A Hunton spokesman told the Washington Post that the former Justice official, D. Kyle Sampson, is on leave “pending…

Dec 3, 2008 5:10 PM CST

The Blawg 100

Best of the Blogosphere

Dec 2, 2008 5:50 AM CST

Lawyer Ad Rules May Bar Blogging, La. Law Firm Says in Suit and Blog

A law firm contends new Louisiana lawyer advertising rules slated to take effect in April will restrict its right to comment on Twitter, Facebook, online bulletin boards and blogs. The Wolfe Law Group filed a federal suit today challenging the rules, claiming they would subject each of the firm’s online…

Nov 24, 2008 7:37 PM CST

Middle East Legal Recruiters Inundated with Résumés from U.S. Lawyers

Legal résumés are pouring into recruiters’ offices from lawyers looking for work in the Middle East and Asia as law firms continue their expansion there. One legal recruiter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, told the New York Times he has gotten so many applications from top-quality New York lawyers that…

Nov 24, 2008 1:05 PM CST

Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, to Sing at PI Lawyer’s Holiday Party

Yet another famous singer will perform at this year’s annual holiday party hosted by Houston personal injury lawyer Mark Lanier, and any tween guests are likely to be pleased. Miley Cyrus—who plays Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel—will perform, the Am Law Litigation Daily reports. Last year Lanier gave out…

Nov 19, 2008 3:33 PM CST

What Lawyers Can Learn from Obama’s Victory

Barack Obama’s victory can teach lawyers some important lessons about change and the factors that cause it, according to the founder of an online collaboration service for lawyers. “Obama harnessed the forces of demographics, globalization, transparency and technology to what in hindsight looks like an inevitable victory,” writes Paul Lippe,…

Nov 19, 2008 1:26 PM CST