Classic: Growth is not a solution to your firm’s problems

Today’s post from Ed Reeser introduces the first in Dialogue’s occasionakl ‘Classics’. A ‘classic’ is a timeless message about BigLaw business model firms and their clients.

The idea for the message that growth is not a solution to the problems a law firm faces stems from  Growth won’t solve your firm’s problems, a powerful article in The Am Law Daily in 2015. Ed’s interpretation of the message has strengthened with time, hence the designation ‘classic’.

Read More
Posted by on May 11, 2017 in BigLaw firms | 0 comments

PwC makes another big NewLaw move

With the headline “Firm hires partners to build out its ‘new law’ capability” the New Law Journal reports that PwC, UK has just recruited two partners with the mandate to create a major NewLaw capability.

Read More
Posted by on May 9, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Legal services ecosystem | 2 comments

When it comes to pricing BigLaw’s services, play off the front foot or perish

When it comes to pricing BigLaw’s services, play off the front foot or perish is contributed by Richard Burcher, the intrepid Kiwi based in London and a world leader in pricing BigLaw’s services. Richard’s post has three core messages.

Read More
Posted by on May 4, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Clients, Pricing | 0 comments

How to fail at collaboration

With collaboration in professional services firms very much in the news as a result of the work and publications of Heidi K. Gardner of Harvard Business School, it’s a good time for Dialogue to publish How to fail at collaboration, an iconic post by Pam Woldow and Doug Richardson. We all know that many law firms send mixed messages to their lawyers (and often to their clients, too). They talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk, particularly when it comes to the informal norms and values that define “the way we do things around here.” This opens them up to charges of hypocrisy – or at least insensitivity to the human factors that define law firm success in today’s market.

Read More
Posted by on May 2, 2017 in BigLaw firms | 0 comments

The intangible law firm

Remember all those ludicrous predictions you kept hearing about how law firms were someday going to invest heavily in intelligent technology that could do legal work? Funny thing about that: someday is today.

Read More
Posted by on Apr 28, 2017 in BigLaw firms, NewLaw business models | 1 comment

The legal vertical is already corporatized; law firms should be permitted to operate that way, too

The legal vertical is already corporatized; law firms should be permitted to operate that way, too by Mark Cohen explores a contentious topic. I congratulate Mark on his cogent arguments in favour. And I am sure all readers of Dialogue are looking forward to hearing the views of BigLaw firm leaders and the institutions of the legal profession, like bar associations and law societies.   

Mark starts by with an exhortation: It’s time to stop pretending that the $300B U.S. legal industry is anything but big business. All legal providers—including law firms– should be able to operate from a corporate structure.

Read More
Posted by on Apr 25, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Regulation | 0 comments