Latest ABA New Normal Post is Up: A ‘Valorem Dozen’: The Ingredients For One...
My New Normal colleague Paul Lippe has been writing about the demise of Dewey, and he encouraged me to write about the things that contributed to Valorem’s success. Here’s my article focusing on that...
View ArticleLegalese. Oy vey.
I received an email from a partner, who had received a draft document for review. Here is the language sent for review in response to a document request: Responding Party conducted a diligent search...
View ArticleWSJ: Law Firm Model ‘Dying.” Wrong tense.
Robert Crandall and Clifford Winston, both of the Brookings Institution, have an opinion piece in today’s Wall Street Journal, The Law Firm Business Model is Dying. Here is the money quote: How have...
View ArticlePam Woldow on the money with “Grubby Money” post
Pam Woldow just pulled back the curtain on the 800 lb. gorilla in most lawyer-client relationships–money. Here’s the back story from a program Pam led for a law firm and one of its main clients: Then...
View ArticleFewer senior lawyers and more young lawyers “churning out” the work? No way.
I was asked the other day by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin to comment on a survey conducted by Altman Weil. I did so, and reviewed the resulting article today. The article, which I have only in hard...
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Wondering on the 4th of July
I woke this morning wondering whether I would experience the best of America in my lifetime. Certainly, the way we are as a country now is not our best. I thought about how we have divided...
View ArticleJust one thing
One of the things that happens during boarding on most flights is that people carry on telephone conversations that are impossible to ignore. I used to feel a sense of guilt about hearing what they...
View ArticleThe best source of new business is ….
When I was a young associate an eternity ago, my firm held an internal seminar on developing new business. Almost every associate attended, with pen and notebook ready to write down the means by which...
View Article“True and correct” copies
When I was a young lawyer, one of my first disputes was with a partner who asked me to proofread his brief. Presented by the phrase “true and correct copy”, I dutifully struck the words “true and...
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Making the most of meetings–Bill Clinton style
Scott Curran, the Deputy General Counsel of The Clinton Foundation (yes, that Clinton Foundation), was this year’s first guest speaker at Valorem’s “Lunch With a Cool Person.” The mug presented to...
View ArticleTime to listen: “I don’t hear a word they’re saying”
Great post by Aric Press of American Lawyer discussing the “series of microclimates” that law firms and law firm-client relationships have become. The title of Aric’s article, Everybody’s talking at...
View ArticleAnother example of “just not getting it”
The prior post contains a link to a story discussing one of Disney’s key philosophies–”It’s not my fault, but it is my problem.” When a park patron shares a problem with a Disney employee, it doesn’t...
View ArticleThe Premise of Pricing
I am frequently asked how I go about pricing the handling of a lawsuit. I am always tempted to answer with the old line, “I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.” My real answer goes something...
View ArticleSimple questions a client can ask to expose dirty little secrets
Everyone claims to offer fee structures that are alternatives to the billable hour. Frequently, these “alternatives” are nothing more than estimated hours x hourly rates, plus “a little cushion.” So...
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Go West, young man. Okay, so we did!
Dave Bohrer signing paperwork to join Valorem At the chime of the midnight bell on April 1st, Valorem now has on office in Silicon Valley. We are so pleased to announce that David Bohrer has merged...
View ArticleBigLaw tries to sell the Brooklyn bridge
Just ran across an article in Today’s General Counsel on choosing between litigation and arbitration. There are many factors that go into a decision to pursue one or the other, but this paragraph...
View ArticleA Thousand Dollars Per Hour: Wrong Focus
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the increasing number of BigLaw partners charging more than $1000 per hour. My thoughts on hourly billing are well know, but the criticism of these rates as...
View ArticleValorem’s Nicole Auerbach Shows How Billable Hour Hurts Women
It is rare I have nothing to add, but this six minute (now there’s some rich irony) clip explains precisely how and why women are penalized by hourly billing. Congratulations to my partner Nicole...
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Now this is a mission statement
Everybody wants the next great thing. Even us. So we are a music store, who became an airline, who became a soft drink company, who became over 200 different businesses all over the planet united by...
View Article10 Value Questions Inside Counsel Should Be Asking Themselves
1. Has your management mandated (or gently suggested) that you reduce your spend on litigation? Would it be a good career move if you achieved a reduction in total spend? 2. Do your law firms spend...
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