Managing Law Firms in Transition

Managing Law Firms in Transition

Category Archives: Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring

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Focusing on Long Term Stability

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition, Uncategorized
“Focusing is about saying No!”   Steve Jobs   I was reviewing an article regarding the 13th Annual America’s Best Corporate Law Firms study and was struck with how consistent the same names appear on this list — year in and year out. Even if you haven’t seen it, chances are you can name many… Continue Reading

Managing Law Firm Strategic Initiatives

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
This post is inspired by a recent interaction with a former colleague that has done very well with her career. 15 years ago, she was an entry level law firm HR professional that was smart, had lots of energy and a passion for excellent work. She has advanced through a variety of positions in the… Continue Reading

Merger Madness-Five Reasons Your Merger Can Go Wrong

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
It almost seems like a broken record to hear about the popularity of law firm mergers.  Legal industry publications report on the latest mergers and hot market trends.  Indeed, just recently The American Lawyerreviewed the merger opportunities that abound for mid-size firms in its Mid-size Firm Leaders Awash in Big Law Merger Offers. Despite the… Continue Reading

What is Your Law Firm Worth?

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition
What is your law firm worth? This question is paramount when the owners of a firm consider the possibilities related to a merger, a succession plan involving existing firm members, or the outright sale of an established practice. There are variations by state as to what can and cannot be sold as part of transitioning… Continue Reading

Five Warning Signs That Your Law Firm is Headed for Uncertain Times

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Crisis, Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition, Law Firm Warning Signs
As business organizations go, law firms are different because they can face greater stability challenges.  Sure, law firms with iconic names seem to rock along year after year.  But for every bedrock firm there are others that struggle to survive.  And even some of the firms regarded for their steady state are like the proverbial… Continue Reading

Part 2- Succession and Selling Your Law Practice

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition
This is the second in a two part series addressing the idea of selling your law practice as part of a succession plan. Part one addressed issues related to defining personal objectives, compliance with local bar rules, and practice valuation. In this post we will look at three remaining considerations: Finding a buyer, Negotiating the… Continue Reading

Merging Your Small Law Firm into a Bigger One-Five Additional Things Smart Firms Think About

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
Law firm mergers happen-a lot.  While the mega mergers get the publicity, many mergers stay under the radar because they involve smaller firms being absorbed by larger firms. Whether for reasons of market dynamics, succession, or battling for growth, some smaller firms simply conclude that life will be better as part of a bigger shop. A… Continue Reading

Succession and Selling Your Law Practice

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition, Uncategorized
If you practice law, there is one eventuality that should be added to that familiar duo of Death and Taxes. No one talks much about it, but it warrants the same attention to detail. The subject? The end of your practice.  As is the case with its two more familiar rivals for attention, ignoring it will… Continue Reading

What Does Partner Mean in Your Law Firm?

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
If you change partners every time it gets tough or you get a little dissatisfied, then I don’t think you get the richness that’s available in a long-term relationship.                   Jeff Bridges Another year and more turmoil in the legal profession! Although for some law firms the… Continue Reading

Is it Time? Five Developments That Demand Action from Law Firm Leaders

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Crisis, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition, Law Firm Warning Signs
Running a law firm successfully is no easy task.  It is a multi-dimensional effort that requires leadership, discipline, vision, and some luck.  Getting all firm lawyers to row a boat in unison can be tough.  Even if some of the oars irregularly go into the water, progress is still possible. When attentive leaders work hard… Continue Reading

Rethinking Law Firm Succession-Five Reasons to Focus Differently

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition
Law firm succession is a top of mind issue for today’s law firms.  Making sure one generation of leadership can hand the reins off to the next generation is a key concern.  Of course, it is not just having the right people in place to develop and execute sound strategies, but it also requires transitioning… Continue Reading

Merger and the Underperforming Law Firm

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Crisis, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition, Uncategorized
As firms consider their strategic position , a number of law firms are finding themselves underperforming relative to peer firms. For some, it is deja vu…for the second, third or fourth consecutive year. You don’t need anyone to tell you that this is not a great way to navigate in this increasingly volatile environment. A… Continue Reading

Merger and Operating Cost

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
If your law firm is considering a merger, it is a perfect time to evaluate the operating cost associated with the combined organizations. Mergers are risky transactions. Having operating costs in line will decrease pressure on the new entity. Although all costs should be evaluated, we will focus on three areas in this post. Two… Continue Reading

Law Firm Merger Checklist Item-Culture

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
The spring of 2018 has produced a spate of large law firm mergers.  Despite this noticeable activity, the interest in mergers is not something new-over 600 mergers and acquisitions have closed since 2007.  Based on the tactic’s popularity among firm leaders seeking a competitive edge, we can expect more mergers in the future. For law… Continue Reading

Do More Than 83% of Law Firm Mergers Fail?

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring
This Forbes article references a KPMG study which indicated that 83% of mergers fail to yield a favorable return to stockholders while a separate A. T. Kearney study determined that mergers overall yield a negative return to owners. The KPMG study indicated that nearly 70% of business combinations are negative to neutral in terms of… Continue Reading

Four Important Elements to Getting Law Firm Merger Right

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition
Already 2018 has proven to be a time for law firm merger.  Since the beginning of the year we have been treated to a constant series of announcements about law firms combining. And although law firm mergers have been part of the landscape for years, the increase in law firm mergers shows its growing popularity… Continue Reading

Law Firm Succession: Addressing the Most Important Issue

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition
After years of success (by any number of measures), more than a few firm founders (or later generation leaders) confront succession.  Some of them are simply ready to step back and enjoy life-turning their worries over to the next generation has great appeal.  Others are driven by unanticipated developments-illness or family circumstances compel them to… Continue Reading

Five Key Metrics for Grading Your Law Firm’s Annual Performance

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition, Law Firm Warning Signs
A law firm report card is a good thing.  Much like a child’s school report card telling a parent how school is going, a law firm report card can inform firm leadership about its progress, shortfalls, and areas that need improvement.  In these days of industry disruption and heightened competition, periodic assessments can give a… Continue Reading

When a Law Firm Grows Up-Five Steps to Maturing Well

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition, Uncategorized
Sometimes it is as simple as two lawyers acting on obvious synergies and a law firm is born.  Once the firm is birthed, the days are heady ones as basic startup chores are mixed with the never-ending pursuit of clients, doing good work and building an enduring reputation.  Coming up for air can almost seem… Continue Reading

Law Firm Health in Turbulent Times

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition, Law Firm Warning Signs
Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle. – Napoleon Hill As the economy begins to show signs of volatility, it may foreshadow risk for many law firms.   Additional market disruption may lead to challenges for firms of all sizes and in most practice disciplines. In a Forbes article, Basha Rubin suggested… Continue Reading

Its Merger Season-Five Reasons for Your Law Firm to Think About Merger

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Growth, Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Merger, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Succession, Law Firm Transition
Tis the season, but holidays are not involved.  Rather, market forces, activity and trends confirm that law firm merger is on the minds of law firms.  While mergers once seemed to happen mostly around the start of the year, the complexity of the merger exercise means mergers can happen at any time.  And even for… Continue Reading

Getting Ahead of the Game-Four Thoughts About Operating Successfully in Today’s Market

By Andrew E. Jillson on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
  Every year about this time some of the major research and analytic minds focused on the legal services industry publish their annual reports or studies.  Citi Private Bank/Hildebrandt Consulting LLC’s Client Advisory was released on December 14, 2017 and contains a wealth of information and perspectives about what happened in 2017 and what might… Continue Reading

Failing Strategies and Law Firm Success

By Roger Hayse on Posted in Law Firm Leadership, Law Firm Repositioning/Turnaround/Restructuring, Law Firm Transition
I recently finished a review of the 2018 version of the Georgetown University Law Center’s Report on the State of the Legal Market. Although the report contains numerous quantitative facts reflecting continued struggles for the law firm services market (falling productivity, realization and profit margins), I was intrigued by the commentary regarding strategy. The report… Continue Reading
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