The American Lawyer article about recent attrition at Kirkland & Ellis gained attention in no small part because Kirkland’s reputation for success runs counter to the idea that people want to leave. While 
departures from even the most successful firms is inevitable, the depth of attrition at Kirkland reported by The American Lawyer was surprising.
Law Firm Merger or Combination-A Solution That Can Suit Many Situations
As we have seen recently, law firm combinations have continued at a brisk pace. In layman’s terms, most of the combinations are referred to as mergers although many are at best “merger-like.” Indeed, “true” mergers appear to be the exception and not the rule as law firm combinations continue to be announced.
Gina Passarella wrote
Market Entry the Orrick Way: Pros and Cons
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP made its entry into the Houston legal market last week. It announced that it had attracted 15 Houston based attorneys from 6 firms to plant the Orrick flag in the Bayou City. Pulled from Andrews Kurth, DLA Piper, Haynes and Boone, McDermott Will & Emery, McGuire
Seeing Softness in Demand? Steps for Law Firm Stability
One current report signals that the legal services market is suffering from a decline in demand. Reed Smith’s inabilities to keep its full complement of lawyers busy lead it to layoff 45 lawyers recently. According to Peter Zeughauser of the Zeughauser Group, other firms have been stealthily bleeding layoffs here and there for
Managing in Today’s Changing Legal Services Market-How to Avoid Obsolescence
Another year for law firms is in the books and the numbers, to state it mildly, do not signal a return to the pre-2008 halcyon days. Based on a report from the respected Georgetown Law Center for the Study of the Legal Profession, it appears that challenges to the legal profession continue and are
Like Divorce, Law Firm Crisis is More Likely as the New Year Starts-Reprised
(This post previously appeared on January 15, 2015 and noted some of the similarities between marital divorce and one of the more extreme forms of law firm transition-breakup. As we reach the end of 2015, for some firms the joy of another year completed may be supplanted by the tension and stress that often
Law Firms With Diverging Interests-Five Notions For Law Firms “Calling it a Day”
Succession planning is an issue that many law firm managers worry about. They ask whether their firm has done enough planning, whether the pool of successors is deep and whether the firm will be stable when transition to new leadership happens. Because succession planning is so important to many of today’s law firm leaders, we’ve
Law Firm Succession-Key Elements for Today and Tomorrow
Law firms today and in the future must deal with a shifting legal services market that makes succession a more formidable task. Succession is not simply finding a way to deliver the gold watch with dignity and promoting firm-wide acclamation for the new leader. No, it is a lot more as recent reports and analyses
Law Firm Succession Planning-What Does the Future Hold?
Law firm succession, whether leadership or client focused, has been an issue for law firms for a long time. Recent articles written about the legal industry suggest that succession will be different if not more difficult in the future.
At the risk of waxing about the “good old days,” it is arguable that operating a
Law Firm Succession Planning-Preparing for the Difficult Conversation
Aric Press’ recent piece on lawyer retirement is excellent in identifying some of the subtle challenges for law firms dealing with Boomer departure. Press’ Is it Time for You to Go, Joe? describes the difficult conversation faced by law firm leadership seeking to transition senior lawyers and their practices. Press goes on to observe