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Roger Hayse is a founding Director of Hayse LLC. For 30 years he has closely advised law firm management and legal industry service providers. His career is highlighted by consistently providing the counsel and leadership critical to successful law firm transitions. He is a frequent writer and speaker, and authored the 2002 book "Law Firm Strategy".

In last week’s post, we explored the surprise loss of a law firm leader. Today I want to suggest an orderly approach to this inevitable event.

The Zeughauser Group conducted a survey that included several interesting issues. Three observations related to planning for the long-term health of the firm struck me.

· When describing

In a conversation last week, a friend who is a partner in an AMLAW 100 firm told me that he received a record number of calls from search firms during the previous month. In a separate conversation last week, a Managing Partner client noted the incredible number of calls she was receiving pertaining to hiring

“If you throw a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will hop right out. But if you put that frog in a pot of tepid water and slowly warm it, the frog doesn’t figure out what is going on until it’s too late…” Stephenie Meyer

Much like the boiling frog, if a

Three points in a law firm’s development will demonstrate the degree to which law firm owners share common values and aspirations:

  • when the compensation system is under scrutiny,
  • when it is time to commit to a new lease, and
  • in an hour of crisis.

Typically, when a firm is formed, two, three or maybe a

The economic turmoil driven by the coronavirus has impacted virtually every law firm — some more significantly than others. Unfortunately, the pain has only begun for many. The demand for many transaction related practices is likely to be off for an extended period, and though most expect demand for litigation services to be steady, the

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on businesses world-wide. Law firms have been no exception. A relative handful of firms are enjoying an increase in demand for their services. For these firms, primary challenges relate to maintaining a safe work environment.
For many firms, however, the business disruption includes a decline in work

As law firms (and businesses generally) confront the growing financial challenges associated with the Covid-19 crisis, a plan for an escalating response is necessary. The appropriate answer for a particular law firm will depend on its current and projected condition and its culture, but consider the following as you develop your plan.

Government assistance

During periods of crisis and economic uncertainty, the old saying “cash is king” is the appropriate mantra for most businesses. Maintaining the liquidity necessary to stay in business is now job #1 for law firm leaders.

To say that the economic fallout associated with Covid-19 is causing a decrease in cash inflow is an enormous

The phrase “extraordinary times” is an understatement when it comes to describing these days as each of us is forced to focus on new ways to achieve personal and business survival. As law firms attempt to envision a path through this crisis, a new working relationship with vendors should be considered as part of the