Law firms seeking to thrive today must stand out from their competition.  Of course, that is easier said than done, and identifying specific steps to achieve this goal takes careful thought, planning and execution.  Thomson Reuters’ recently released 2020 Dynamic Law Firm Report presents a provocative and instructive glimpse of certain elements found in law

As talk about more states allowing non-lawyer ownership of law firms is heard, concern over more deeply capitalized competition may be on the mind of some law firm leaders.  No doubt, opening up law firm capital structures to investors is significant, but it won’t change the fundamentals for surviving in today’s legal services market.  Since

“[L]eaders must have a sharp eye on the future, always considering how the law firm will evolve and succeed in the years ahead.”

from Decisions That Matter:  Tales of Law Firm Leadership in Moments of Consequence

Sustaining a law firm’s success is a nice challenge to have. For one, it means that the founders already

Let’s start by defining terms. There are a number of characteristics that might be used to bring definition to   “potential”  – size, profitability, locations, and so on. But, for purposes of this discussion, I define it as achieving the professional goals of the firm’s professionals. If, over the span of a career, the

“When a law firm embarks on a plan to grow, ultimate success … [directly relates to] leadership’s ability to make the right decisions while navigating the high seas of growth.”

            from Decisions That Matter:  Tales of Law Firm Leadership in Moments of Consequence

 It is not unusual to hear “Growth” as the response when law

I have been preparing for a managing partner leadership conference. One of the topics I am discussing is law firm Key Performance Indicators “KPI.” In reviewing recent articles and posts on the issue I was struck by two things:

  • the disproportionate representation of relatively short-term performance snapshots; versus,
  • the almost total absence of the two

As more law firm mergers are announced, the idea of pursuing a merger crosses many a law firm leader’s mind.  The idea of grabbing greater market share, entering distant markets, bolstering capabilities, or addressing succession can spur thoughts of combination.  Those potential results or outcomes can seem compelling and cause a firm to jump into

I was very encouraged by a Bloomberg article regarding Katten Muchin Rosenman. The piece describes the strategic priorities of Roger Furey, the chair of the firm. The three top priorities are:

  • Getting the word out regarding the firm’s reputation. Reportedly, the firm has an excellent reputation with existing clients and the goal is to make the broader market more aware of this.
  • Determine what the firm’s clients view as their needs. As is the case with all firms (or for that matter, any service related business), understanding the needs of clients —   learning directly from them about what they are thinking and what they need — will allow the firm to better serve them (and when done properly, almost always result in organic growth).
  • Attorney development. The firm intends to better use its more senior lawyers to enhance the capabilities of its more junior lawyers.

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