Solos/Small Firms

Chance to work on ‘biggest disputes in trial work’ lures small litigation boutique to Boies Schiller

A small New York boutique known for its lawyers’ complex litigation skills will be joining forces with Boies, Schiller & Flexner next month. Former federal prosecutor Sean O’Shea, 59, who served as business securities fraud section leader for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn before forming his own firm 20…

May 24, 2016 6:18 AM CDT

Law firm loses bid to hold banks accountable for its $287K loss in cashier’s check fraud

A New York lawyer who was defrauded of $287,450 in a cashier’s check scam by a purported client has lost an initial effort to recover from the bank that deposited the check in his trust account, as well as the bank that purportedly issued the check. Apparently victimized in what…

May 23, 2016 5:05 PM CDT

Law partner who had lifeguard job sees age-discrimination suit over Speedo rule revived on appeal

A Long Island bankruptcy attorney who moonlights as a lifeguard is back in the swim of things, as far as his age-discrimination suit against the state of New York over a required bathing suit is concerned. In a decision last week, the Appellate Division, Second Department, said a trial court…

May 10, 2016 11:00 AM CDT

Lanny Davis opens a new law firm at an age when many practitioners retire

At age 70, many lawyers are thinking about retirement, if they haven’t already closed down their law practices. Lanny Davis is opening a new law firm, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) reports. Davis, awell-known Washington, D.C., practitioner and friend of Hillary Clinton whose expertise includes not only the law…

May 9, 2016 4:26 PM CDT

In spite of regulations, lawyers should be bold with their advertising efforts

It was gloomy and gray for most of the day as the seventh annual Avvo Lawyernomics conference kicked off Friday from the Wynn Las Vegas. But it certainly felt like the record crowd of more than 600 attendees Avvo touted, as the conference rooms were filled to capacity. Maybe the…

Apr 11, 2016 10:54 AM CDT

Client accused of killing clerk may have meant to target attorney, filings say

A new client had been represented by St. Paul criminal defense attorney Dan Adkins only a short time before he fired him by text message on Thursday afternoon and demanded his money back. When Ryan David Petersen couldn’t immediately reach Adkins by phone, he went to the North Star Criminal…

Apr 11, 2016 10:20 AM CDT

At 7th annual Avvo Lawyernomics, the emphasis will be on ‘unmarketing’

Scott Stratten, president of UnMarketing, has an interesting analogy for lawyer marketing in an increasingly competitive marketplace: One of his earliest jobs was serving as a sales training manager for a bubble wrap company. “The thing about bubble wrap is that everyone needs it, so my job is to tell…

Apr 7, 2016 8:00 AM CDT

Incubators and tech services can help make a profitable, socially conscious law firm

Fred Rooney loved his first job out of law school—but he couldn’t afford to keep it. His salary at Lehigh Valley Legal Services put his family of four under the federal poverty line. So, with a year of practice and a partner who had just finished law school, he started…

Mar 18, 2016 1:40 PM CDT

Can small firms thrive in a tough competitive environment?

With large firms on one side and legal service providers on the other, the new reality for many small firms is that they face a difficult competitive landscape. But they also have an opportunity to distinguish themselves from their competition if they embrace technology and seize upon their natural advantages…

Mar 18, 2016 10:30 AM CDT

Embracing nontraditional ways to bill and budget can be profitable

The legal industry has never been more competitive. Forward-thinking lawyers and firms, however, can get ahead financially by embracing nontraditional ways of billing, budgeting and collecting. That was the central takeaway from a Thursday afternoon session at ABA Techshow entitled: “2016 Law Firm Economics: New Ways to Bill, Account and…

Mar 17, 2016 6:11 PM CDT

How solos and small firms can cut costs and make their money go further (podcast with transcript)

Cost savings are particularly important for small firms and solos. What are some easy fixes for making law firm budgets go further, and what are some common mistakes to avoid? In this month's Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward gets some tips and tricks for stretching firms' dollars.

Mar 7, 2016 12:55 PM CST

Ford & Harrison grows again, acquires 5-lawyer boutique and new Connecticut office

National labor and employment boutique Ford & Harrison is growing again. The 155-attorney Atlanta-based firm announced Tuesday that it had acquired a five-lawyer firm, Rose Kallor. The merger establishes a new Hartford office for Ford & Harrison, its first in Connecticut. This is not the first merger this year for…

Mar 3, 2016 1:10 PM CST

Some firms swear by the use of private investigators

Fans of Perry Mason—those with fond memories of the TV show or recent admirers of the rereleased novels—will remember how private investigator Paul Drake helped the fictional lawyer solve crimes and defend the innocent.

Mar 1, 2016 1:40 AM CST

Once living in US illegally, immigrant now looks forward to paying $50K in taxes on law practice

After many years of living in the United States without legal permission, a California attorney admitted in 2014 after state lawmakers passed a bill allowing him to join the state bar is looking forward to paying U.S. taxes on his new law practice. The tally: Not quite $42,000 in federal…

Feb 25, 2016 2:50 PM CST

Avvo offers fixed-fee legal services through an attorney network in 18 states

Expanding on a fledgling plan to offer fixed-fee legal services through a network of lawyers, Avvo has announced that it is rolling out the program in 18 states beginning Tuesday. “The beauty here is we get them the customer, we get the cash up front, and they don’t have to…

Feb 9, 2016 4:40 PM CST