Remaking News of the Week: Some BigLaw firms are becoming platforms

In today’s Remaking News of the Week, I feature Some BigLaw firms are becoming platforms, a premonitory piece by Joel Barolsky.

Remaking News of the Week: Law firm partnerships are losing their lustre

The inimitable John Gapper penned Law firm partnerships are losing their lustre with the sub-line The transfer market in talent is undermining traditional legal practices in the Financial Times back in May this year.

Citing high profiles lateral moves and raids in London, John points to the crisis that building a BigLaw firm by lateralling is causing. This snippet says it all: “The transfer market for lawyers has become so heated that Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer introduced reforms this month to retain top partners by paying them up to six times what it gives to lesser lights“. 

Why crofting is so important to law firms

I wrote Why crofting is so important to law firms a couple years ago after Brian Inkster and I met online. Both of Scottish descent, we had much in common from the get-go.

Why crofting is so important to law firms is not a spoof or a piece of trivia. It’s a serious message to all BigLaw business model firms and a tribute to the mercurial Brian at the same time. This post is written for practising attorneys, not just those with Scottish or Irish blood.

Remaking News of the Week: Studying leadership before the big test

On 8 July 2018, Bill Henderson published Studying leadership before the big test, Part 1 on Legal Evolution, his inspiring blog. Bill begins by recounting Fred Bartlit, one of the founding partners of Bartlit Beck, saying “smooth seas make poor sailors”. The reference is to the need for ‘perspective, emotional control, making choices with consequences, and filtering out noise in assessing and managing through turbulence and uncertainty’.

Who’s In Dialogue: 12

Who’s In Dialogue: 12 is in its 12th week; thanks for playing.

Who is known for particular expertise in legal project management (LPM) and wrote a post on LPM for Dialogue with Doug Richardson?

For those joining recently: Once-a-week, I provide a clue about one of our Contributors to Dialogue and invite you to join the fun by telling us in a comment to whom you think the clue refers. Proofs from public sources are published the following week.