A few interesting notes:
- The ACC GC Survey confirms that in-house legal departments continue to expand internally. 83% hired new lawyers when they needed staff. 64% created new positions last year. One GC I met last year said it is less expensive and easier to control in-house lawyers than outside law firms.
- Same survey, "GCs also say they need to focus on how their companies deal with privacy. Asked to rate the importance of a set of "trending topics," transparency and privacy obligations ranked highest, while the decentralization of legal departments ranked lowest."
- Law firm hiring is flat: "NALP Executive Director James Leipold said the data “reflects the continuing faltering in the larger legal economy. If you read the client advisories coming from some of the private banks that are involved in law firm financing, it’s clear that 2013 is not likely to be dramatically better. As law firms battle for market share and compete within a global marketplace that is driving the price of legal services down, law firms continue to be cautious about bringing in more lawyers than they can confidently keep busy. I would expect flat and faltering to be characteristics of the entry-level law firm hiring market going forward, at least for the short and even medium term. Multiple experts have made the case that the legal market is not likely to return to pre-2007 levels, and the recruiting environment reflects that reality.”
- What's on your client's mind? Another look at the corporate counsel survey show concern about compliance, doing more with less, cost of outside counsel, company growth and departmental performance.
- Tim Corcoran's view on working from home.
- Another great Corcoran article on "Merger Math" (registration required)
- Ross Fishman on keeping your law firm name short and memorable.
- Don't have time for an e-book on the future of law? Watch it on TV here.
- Revenues flat. Profits grow in Amlaw 100. How? Cut equity partners.
