Most problems are more easily resolved when addressed early. Pressures driving law firm instability and decline are no exception.
The likelihood of early detection is enhanced by incorporating a routine self-examination of the firm. This periodic checkup should focus on performance as well as the satisfaction of both personnel and clients.
Here are five
“Hope is not a strategy”
– Various –
Déjà vu
It seems like déjà vu all over again; demand for law firm services is down, but many law firm leaders expect their firm to see an increase in demand. Based on those expectation hiring and purchasing
The general approach to law firm billing rate increases continues to baffle me. The overall demand for law firm services has been flat to declining for more than a decade while the quantity of licensed lawyers continues to grow.
Continue Reading Killing the Golden Law Firm Goose
There has been a recent flurry of articles regarding law firm “spin offs” some referencing actions such 
as the recent Ropes & Gray IP move which appears practice specific. Others target “spin offs” as a means of getting lean. Seth Godin (who you might consider following if you don’t already) had a great and short
Don’t confuse cause with coincidence. – W. Edwards Deming
In Jim Collins’ book How the Mighty Fall, he describes phase two of business decline as “Undisciplined Pursuit of More.”
When it comes to law firms, we might call this phase of decline a period of Ego Driven Growth. This type of growth
One ought never turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
Winston Churchill
The first key to
I had a recent discussion with Eric Fletcher, a talented marketing executive author of Marketing Brain Fodder about law firm growth and specifically revenue growth. The somewhat obvious conclusion was that law firms grow revenue in four ways, each with its own challenges and issues by.
Succession planning isn’t for everyone. If your law firm doesn’t have interest in long-term, multi-generational, viability (never mind the whole idea of legacy, which seems increasingly out of vogue) then this post isn’t really for you.
It should be acknowledged that a firm doesn’t have to transition from one generation to the next if
As we enter the New Year, chances are good you’re dealing with a predictable slate of demands on your time: setting compensation and budgets; managing details associated with the latest departure; and interviewing this week’s lateral prospect. All important activities, and worthy of serious attention; but none of these is likely to make the firm
I have shared numerous posts focusing on the dismal performance associated with non-organic law firm growth — that is, growth achieved through merger or lateral hiring. An excellent recent post by Eric Dewey, has prompted me to focus on a critical aspect of the lateral/merger conversation.
Peter Drucker, (credited as the founder
