Category: Management and Technology

BigLaw manages risks of all kinds. Records retention and discovery are the new biggies, but let’s not forget conflicts and insider trading, among others. Now, firms can consider a new risk.  Common Spreadsheet Errors Can Be Found With More Testing, Some Double-Checking (6/13/05) in the...

Legal Technology Journal is a very good new publication from the UK.  Editor-in-Chief Charles Christian is a well-known and highly regarded writer, commentator and industry analyst who has been reporting on developments in law office technology and online legal services for over 25 years. His...

On Friday, May 26th, Hummingbird, one of two main suppliers of document and practice management systems for large law firms, announced it was being acquired by Symphony Technology Group.  Symphony Technology Group “is a strategic holding company that helps companies maximize operational efficiencies in the...

BigLaw’s salary escalation for new associates shows the competition for talent. Law firms should consider how technology can help them gain recruits’ mind-share.  The Wall Street Journal, in Podcasts Extend Recruiters’ Reach (4/24/06, $), explains how management consulting firm Bain & Co. used a 20-minute...

Last November I reported on a Richard Susskind article explaining the lack of innovation in US law firms. The situation may be even worse according to a new article by professional services guru David Maister.  In Are Law Firms Manageable?, Maister paints a grim picture...

Two years ago I suggested in a Marketplace Trial that “a financial market to value and hedge law suits” could emerge. Hedge funds are on edge of making that happen.  Hedge Funds Find Returns in Making Small Loans in the New York Times (2/21/06, $)...

Lawyers dislike change. They resist the new, whether it’s an application upgrade or submitting time by deadline. Firms must be creative about change management.  Another good example is customer relationship management software (CRM). Many law firm managers say “CRM is the most widely licensed but...

Judge Richard Posner has an interesting take on what will drive (so to speak) law firms to allow lawyers to work virtually.  I have suggested that law firms experiment with virtual work (e.g., Working Virtually Revisited) and written about related topics (e.g., Where Should In-House...