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Law Firm Practice Management

How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times (3.18.10)

Law firms are shrinking and toppling day by day. The legal world has been badly rocked by the recession and the end is not yet in sight. The worst thing you or your law firm can do is remain passive and wait for the economy to recover. A hard look needs to be taken at management, financial practices and technology. This program will provide you with some of the sobering statistics in the current legal world as well as give practical advice for not only surviving but thriving in this rocky economy.  Read more

 

 

Starting & Maintaining Your Own Firm in a Recession (2.9.10)

Do you have what it takes to start your own firm? Was your decision to start a law firm based on a drastic career change or circumstances beyond your control? What is your game plan, and how are you planning on facing the recent downturn in the economy? If you’re thinking of launching out on your own or if you have already hung out your shingle but need to know ways to sustain your practice, there are a multitude of issues to consider ranging from who will your clients be to whether to specialize or diversify to address the economic conditions to what should your letter of engagement contain. Among the topics to be discussed are:
  • Taking personal & financial inventory before you launch
  • Determining the minimum budget requirement to start or sustain a practice
  • The advantages and disadvantages of commercial leases, subleases and virtual office spaces – the mobile office
  • Business and other ethical considerations
  • How to think like an entrepreneur rather than an academic
  • How to obtain and keep clients

Read more

Taking Your Firm to the Next Level: Growth & Expansion (3.22.11)

At some point in their career, every solo practitioner will be faced with the opportunity to grow their firm, whether it be by adding partners, of counsel, or simply employees.  With each of these steps, however, there are specific issues that need to be addressed.  What kind of agreement should the partners enter into?  What are permissible of counsel relationships?  And what are the tax and legal ramifications of hiring employees?

Moving beyond the stages of starting a firm, this program will examine some of the unique challenges of law firm growth.  Among the topics to be discussed are:

  • Tips & strategies for billing and collections;
  • Overview of common partnership and of counsel agreement language;
  • The advantages and disadvantages of hiring staff;
  • Tax and ethical considerations.

These issues and more will be discussed in a CLE session by panelists who have their own solo or small firm practices.  Come learn, network, get useful ideas, and CLE credits.  Read more

Lawyers in Transition: The Legal and Ethical Issues to Consider When Changing Jobs (7.8.10)

This program will cover some of the issues involved in both looking for a new job and changing jobs.  Much of the discussion will revolve around a movie about partners and associates switching firms.  Some of the topics to be discussed include:

  • How to use a headhunter properly;
  • The challenges when switching law firms and moving to and from a corporation and a law firm, and the government and private sectors;
  • Mining your contacts and using social networks;
  • Keeping clients happy while moving; and
  • What you can and can not disclose to prospective and new employers.  Read more

Latest Trends & Insights Impacting Law Firm Practice in a Turnaround Economy (7.14.11)

Building and managing a law practice involves a variety of legal, business, operational and risk management considerations, many of which change over the life of a firm. Among them are real estate/leasing issues, credit/financing issues, accounting/tax issues and malpractice insurance issues. Keeping up with important new trends in these critical areas while practicing law can be challenging. Our panel of speakers, including a lawyer, banker, accountant and professional liability insurance broker, will provide practical guidance on what practitioners need to know and will highlight significant new developments that are shaping the evolving legal landscape. Read more