Profit, delusion and the BigLaw obsession

His K&L Gates provenance and the way our guest contributor began his article in Legal Business caught my eye. Tony Griffiths’ piece was titled “…on profit, delusion and how Big Law became obsessed with the wrong things”. With his permission, we quote Tony and reinvigorate the debate on the dangerous obsession with law firm league tables.

How much time does BigLaw have?

Dialogue is pleased to publish, How much time does BigLaw have?, a question posed by London-based Mark Rigotti, joint CEO of Herbert Smith Freehills. Read why Mark asks this question, and my reply in the first comment.

Partners cannot say they weren’t warned

In Partners cannot say they weren’t warned Barry Wilkinson reviews of Remaking Law Firms: Why and How?, a book which looks ahead at the changing shape of the legal services market, and predicts a future in which the business models of successful law firms will have changed significantly.

Remaking Law Firms should be standard reading for anyone who is, or intends to be a partner (or owner) in a law firm of any substance in the next 10 to 15 years, putting their own money at risk. It is mainly directed at large commercial firms (BigLaw) but it has implications for firms of all sizes.

Law 2023: A Look Ahead for the Legal Profession

Tim Corcoran’s assessment of the future of the legal services industry is captured in his post ‘Law 2023: A Look Ahead for the Legal Profession’. Tim draws, in part, on a report issued by Law2023.org, to which he was a major contributor. 

The Law 2023 report is of particular interest because its authors are independent (i.e. not commissioned by a bar association or law society or regulator), the method adopted by the collaborating partners, and the range of interviewees.  Law 2023 is well worth the time to study.

How BigLaw and NewLaw are entering the vernacular

Stories in today’s Lawyers Weekly are a pointer to how the terms BigLaw and NewLaw are entering the vernacular. Coined as neologisms to capture the essence of two types of business model for the delivery of legal services, BigLaw and NewLaw are becoming entrenched, at least in some parts of the ecosystem.

Masterclasses in Remaking Law Firms

For leaders of all larger law firms one of the biggest questions – and opportunities – they face is how to address comprehensively the multitude of changes in the operating environment. All too often we hear leaders say “We know we have to change. But, where do we begin? How much time do we have? How much should we invest? Basically, it’s a question of what the @#&! do we do?”