Regardless of degree, Covid-19’s impact on law firms is near universal.  Some firms have been impacted so severely that crisis is their reality.  Confronted with a do or die situation, strong leadership fights to bring back normalcy.  Failure can mean disaster.

Leaders used to positive law firm performance can find themselves uncertain about their new

The Coronavirus is causing broad-based law firm disruption.  Reports of law firms reducing draws, decreasing salaries, furloughing or laying off of lawyers and staff, and modifying summer associate programs appear daily.  Besides creating concern for health and well-being, the pandemic presents real and substantial challenges for law firms.  All firms will feel it, and some

A law firm in crisis is in a different world—a world in which leadership must learn to adapt.  It is a place that requires thinking differently, acting decisively, and making choices count.  In battling crisis mistakes inevitably happen, but successful crisis leaders keep the number and magnitude small.  A law firm leader flexes brain muscles

Recent years have been good for law firms of all kinds and sizes.  But good days can’t last forever.  Whether the next downturn hurting law firms gets traced to a world-wide virus, political disruption, or just a plain old recession, it doesn’t really matter. What matters for law firms having to ride the looming bumpy

According to many law firm leaders, having a good law firm culture is a key to sustainability.  Not infrequently leaders attribute their firm’s culture for the success enjoyed.  When new mergers are announced or reviewed, the importance of compatible cultures gets top recognition.  And when law firms fail, the impact of a dysfunctional culture reaps

While law firm change is scary, in today’s evolving legal services market the absence of change may be scarier.  Law firm leaders don’t need to read expert’s opinions about the quickly moving marketplace, they see it close-up as competitors proliferate and competition intensifies.  Simply standing still by relying on tried and true practices is not

For a lot of law firms, “business as usual” is like a favorite pair of shoes-they seem to fit and sure feel comfortable. When that is the case, falling back on usual practices continues as long as there is no pressure to change.  But once a watershed event occurs that shakes the foundations of management

In an earlier blog, Law Partner Retirement in Place—Solving Won’t Work/Won’t Leave (Part One), we presented the vexing problem of having a partner that slows down workwise but still draws a full partnership share.  Unfortunately, this upsetting situation exists at more firms than are willing to admit. While eliminating the awkwardness the abuse represents

Let’s face it, the hugely important issue of law firm succession has a lot to do with senior attorney retirement.  Recognizing that, more law firms have prepared for coming retirements by infusing new leadership, transferring existing client relationship responsibility, and coaching the next generations to be business developers. When succession is done right, a firm