We ran across from some interesting articles in the on-line version of the ABA Journal, posts provided by Debra Cassens Weiss and Patrick J. Lamb. We now share.
The Ax: More Partnership Cutting Projected For Early 2013.
A Wells Fargo study shows that 15% of 120 law firms are planning around 15% in cuts of partners in the first quarter of 2013. An ABA study of 113 law firms show even worse forecasts: 55% anticipate cutting 105 partners and 5% will cut 11-20 partners.
![[Bearded man armed with ax, rifle, hunting knife, and two pistols, Maine]](http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a40000/3a40000/3a40700/3a40719r.jpg)
Bearded man armed with ax, rifle, hunting knife, and two pistols. John Joseph Kirkbride, photographer. 1886. Library of Congress.
Patrick J. Lamb’s 13 New Year’s Resolutions for Improving Client Services.
1) I will spend more time in 2013 looking at the relationships I have with my clients from their perspective.
2) I will make a real effort to understand that most clients care about results, not the time I spent on the road to the result. Good results are worth more to clients than bad results.
3) I will experiment with something new this year to see if the “buzz” is warranted instead of merely dismissing the idea because it’s not the way I do things.
4) I will ask my clients to define unacceptable, acceptable and outstanding outcomes before I bill for any work on a matter.
5) I will attempt to understand how much it costs for me to perform certain tasks—not how much I would be paid by the hour, but how much the service costs to deliver.
6) I will express to my clients my understanding that the money being spent is theirs, not mine, and that they, not me, have the right to determine if the money should be invested in me.
7) I will explore with my clients whether the money spent on my matter could be better invested elsewhere in the company and know that if paying for my services is the best investment, I need to be able show that to them.
8) I will read books that help me evaluate the way I practice. I will start with Michael Eisner’s Working Together: Why Great Partnerships Succeed.
9) I will embrace the idea that ours is a service profession, and that our choice to be part of a service profession means that we must focus on the service we provide.
10) I will attempt to understand the forces that exist and are developing that will affect my firm, the way it operates and the impact on its business, and what risks those forces pose for me.
11) I will try to understand those who see the future differently than I do, and I will engage in a “what if they are right?” analysis.
12) I will do one thing each month that improves the client service I provide.
13) I will make less use of email in dealing with my clients and spend more time talking to them on the phone and visiting them personally.
Associate “Bang for the Buck” Cities.
New York City did not make this list, but associates get their best “bang for the buck” (quality of living based on salaries) in these cities: #1 – Dallas; #2 – Wilmington, Delaware; #3 – Houston; #4 – Charlotte, N.C.; and #5 – Los Angeles.
Legal Fees Increased For Top Companies in 1Q-2Q 2012.
Am Law Daily reports that legal fees for 37 companies increased 14.7% for the first two quarters of 2012, likely accounted for by the fact these companies used larger law firms according to the study.