Practice Management

Tip Leads to Price-Fixing Probe of Two UK Law-Firm Lenders

Two law firm lenders in the United Kingdom are under investigation for possible price fixing. Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are being investigated in connection with their professional services loans, Legal Week reports. The institutions are the U.K.’s two largest lenders to law and accounting firms. The Office of…

Jun 3, 2008 3:25 PM CDT

Hottie Lawyers Calendar Would Benefit Boston Legal Services

Attention hottie Massachusetts lawyers: A Boston lawyer is looking for you. Lawyer Howie Altholtz, who is marketing director for Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, wants to produce a “Beautiful Lawyers Calendar” to help benefit Greater Boston Legal Services, the Boston Business Journal reports. Part of the proceeds would also go to…

Jun 3, 2008 1:45 PM CDT

13 V&E Health Care Lawyers Jump to King & Spalding

Thirteen health-care lawyers at Vinson & Elkins, including six partners, are jumping to King & Spalding. The health-care practice at King & Spalding is the highest-ranked in the country, the Am Law Daily reports. The law firm has been expanding the practice group, also hiring lawyers from Powell Goldstein and…

Jun 3, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Big Indy Firm Coming to Chicago, Plans 50-Lawyer Office

A more than 370-lawyer international law firm headquartered in Indianapolis is reportedly coming to Chicago in a big way. Baker & Daniels is establishing a presence in the Windy City with a seven-lawyer contingent from Schuyler Roche, and expects to have a 50-lawyer Chicago office in the near future, according…

Jun 2, 2008 10:34 PM CDT

New NLJ List: 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers

Winnowing through an avalanche of nominations to determine the 50 minority lawyers who have had the most influence on the profession during the past five years was no easy task, due to the multitude of candidates. But a National Law Journal team has done so, supplementing the information provided with…

Jun 2, 2008 9:20 PM CDT

Is It Really $1,000/Hour? Or Just $900?

Remember all the hoopla about top-billing law firm partners who charge $1,000 per billable hour? Well, maybe it’s really closer to $900 for many clients. A recent study found that most firms discount their billable rates, by an average 9.9 percent, notes Legal Blog Watch. More large firms than small…

Jun 2, 2008 9:01 PM CDT

Yale Affirmative Action Didn’t Hurt Clarence Thomas, Classmates Say

Although a Yale Law School diploma didn’t prevent Clarence Thomas from getting a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court bench, it didn’t help him much either, he has said. In particular, the African-American justice has blamed Yale’s affirmative action program for stigmatizing black graduates, and contends his law degree is…

Jun 2, 2008 6:59 PM CDT

Clifford Chance MP Predicts a Firm Future Less Focused on London

London’s top billing as an international financial and legal center could lose some of its luster in the foreseeable future, according to the global managing partner of Clifford Chance. “If I could wave my magic wand, in three to five years I would want to have three hubs and, if…

Jun 2, 2008 5:50 PM CDT

Firm’s ‘Ever Argue With a Woman?’ Ad Provokes Debate on Stereotypes

Updated: Do men and women argue differently? And does that make a difference in the way they work as lawyers? That’s the suggestion of an ad by a women-owned Buffalo, N.Y., law firm that is attracting notice. Its headline: “Ever Argue With a Woman?” The ad touts the strengths of…

Jun 2, 2008 11:28 AM CDT

I Wish I Had Known ...

Former associates find surprises as they enter partnership

Jun 1, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

SharePoint: A Legal Killer App

Multipurpose tool pulls in the info, lets you collaborate

Jun 1, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Long & Winding Road to UK Law Partnership is Getting Longer

For the third year in a row, it’s taking a little longer to make partner at major United Kingdom law firms. The average wait for the gold ring for those who succeed in grabbing it is now 8.8 years, compared to 8.2 years in 2006, reports Legal Week. In the…

May 30, 2008 6:56 PM CDT

Law Firm Diversity Consultant Tells Employees: Consider If You Are Valued

A lawyer turned diversity consultant has advised minority employees who feel underappreciated to get smart, rather than getting mad, by leaving for better opportunities. Natalie Holder-Winfield, who wrote Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce, tells the New York Times the important question for employees to consider is how much they…

May 30, 2008 4:59 PM CDT

McCarter & English Chairman is Tough on Typos

The chairman of McCarter & English is apparently a stickler for good grammar. Chairman Drew Berry tells the Wall Street Journal Law Blog that every first-year lawyer at his firm gets a copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. And he expects the rules to be followed.…

May 30, 2008 4:30 PM CDT

Growing Number of Law Firms Contribute to China Relief Efforts

More than a dozen law firms are contributing money to help earthquake victims in China. While the firms were certainly motivated by the urge to help the devastated region, business considerations may also have been a factor, the AmLaw Daily suggests. “Is it sheer coincidence that many of the American…

May 30, 2008 3:00 PM CDT