Reflecting on Reinvent Law NYC, 2014

Today I am reflecting on the Reinvent Law conference held in New York on February 7, 2014. Seldom, if ever, in my life has one day made such a positive difference to my professional career. It may seem self-indulgent to write about this event three years on, but I think it’s worth sharing. If only because it involves so many people in the Remaking Law Firms community to whom I am grateful and indebted.

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Posted by on Feb 7, 2017 in Book review, Legal services ecosystem, NewLaw business models, Technology | 0 comments

Rudderless ships

‘Rudderless ships‘ is a new post by Mike O’Horo, a foremost proponent of how lawyers in BigLaw firms can improve the effectiveness of their business development activities. The volume of debate and activity around law firms’ evolution into sales organizations continues to ramp up. There are lots of opinions – and accompanying solutions offered – around every aspect of this emerging business function.

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Posted by on Feb 2, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Clients | 0 comments

The Fall of the Priests and the Rise of the Lawyers: Book review

The Fall of the Priests and the Rise of the Lawyers (1) took me three days to read. Normally I need months to get through books like this because I read several concurrently. Not so Philip Wood’s riveting work.

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Posted by on Jan 29, 2017 in Book review, Lawyers | 0 comments

You’re not selling what we’re buying

Demand is flat or falling at large law firms, says the newest Wells Fargo survey released yesterday. Revenue is now being driven solely by hourly rate increases, the last remaining income enhancement button that law firms can press and one they will presumably continue to press until it no longer responds. This is not an especially new development: as has been the case every year since 2011, the 2015 Altman Weil survey of Chief Legal Officers found that more law departments decreased their spend on outside law firms than increased it.

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Posted by on Jan 25, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Clients | 0 comments

Is 2017 the year the fat smoker quits?

Eleven years ago David Maister published a brilliant article on the barriers to strategic change in professional service firms. In Strategy and the Fat Smoker, he stated…

Much of what professional firms do in the name of strategic planning is a complete waste of time, no more effective than individuals making New Year’s resolutions (to lose weight or give up smoking).

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Posted by on Jan 18, 2017 in BigLaw firms | 0 comments

In search of the essence of General Counsel

In this essay on the Essence of General Counsel Ken Grady demonstrates his piercing insight and authority born of years of observation and reflection.

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Posted by on Jan 10, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Law departments, Legal services ecosystem | 0 comments

Obstacles to change in law firms: How to navigate them

Obstacles to change in law firms is a very welcome contribution to Dialogue by Nick Jarrett-Kerr. I  value Nick’s practical perspectives for two reasons: [1] they are grounded in his astute observations based on decades of hands-on experience of working in and with law firms, and [2] in using How in the subtitle for Remaking Law Firms: Why & How, Imme Kaschner and I focused on the practicalities of what needs to change in the BigLaw business model. 

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Posted by on Jan 4, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Lawyers | 0 comments