Legal Commentary

Lake Wobegon Effect Alive And Well

Posted on July 08, 2008
      "It turns out that managing the relationship between in-house counsel and law firm attorneys is a lot like dating ...."  Ughhh.  I had just eaten dinner.  But with that ... er ....eye-catching introduction , Inside Counsel begins its report on the 19th Annual Survey of General Counsel...

Is Mr. Rogers really Dan Hull is disguise?

Posted on July 06, 2008
Separated at birth?  Or maybe the son of Rogers? You be the judge.  Seriously, Dan is much better looking (and younger too!).  But Dan disclaims any relationship, including personality-wise. And in the context of client service, that's a good lead-in to a terrific analysis of client selection...

Is Mr. Rogers really Dan Hull in disguise?

Posted on July 06, 2008
Separated at birth?  Or maybe the son of Rogers? You be the judge.  Seriously, Dan is much better looking (and younger too!).  But Dan disclaims any relationship, including personality-wise. And in the context of client service, that's a good lead-in to a terrific analysis of client selection...

Voicemail Greetings and TMI

Posted on July 02, 2008
We've all experienced this.  You call someone.  The message starts.  "Hi, I'm away from my desk...."  And it goes on and on.  And on some more.  Ever hear this kind of message: " I'm visiting a really important client in a really exotic city and won't be back in the office for several days...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

"Teach A Person To Fish ...."

Posted on July 02, 2008
From the "did-I-read-that-headline-correctly" file comes this post from Gerry Riskin: "When Better Service Is A Bad Thing."  Gerry Riskin saying better service is a bad thing?  Say it isn't so! Well, as always, Gerry has a compelling point to make...

Book Review: Your Witness

Posted on June 27, 2008
From time to time, I am asked to review books.  I don't know why.  But the idea of being asked makes me feel good, so time permitting, I generally agree.  Frequently, the books are not very good.  This was, most decidedly, not one of those occasions...

Book Review: The Curmudgeon's Guide To Practicing Law

Posted on June 27, 2008
On Wednesday afternoon, I had the great pleasure to participate in a CLE program on blogging, sponsored by Counsel on Call in Chicago.  To my immediate right was Mark Herrmann of Jones Day.  Mark is one of the authors of  Drug and Device Law, a blog devoted, not surprisingly, to drug and device law...

Email Free Fridays As Tool To Strengthen Client Relationships

Posted on June 20, 2008
   Life without email?  Probably not happening.  But what about a day without email?  Just imagine--an entire day where you actually had to ... speak with people.  Gulp!     As I was driving in this morning, I was, as always, listening to NPR...

Tiffany's And The Billable Hour

Posted on June 18, 2008
    Great (and lengthy!) post by Bruce MacEwen in Adam Smith, Esq. discussing theories about why General Counsel have been slow to move from the billable hour notwithstanding how much they loathe the status quo.  No summary can do justice to the post, so be sure to invest the time to read it...

Document Retention: The Road To Perdition?

Posted on June 18, 2008
Consider this a public service announcement.  Better yet, a heads-up on something you should be speaking with your clients about. NPR ran a story this morning about document retention and the cost it adds to litigation.  Among the highlights of the story: Ten years ago, a case with 300,000 pages of documents was huge...

Price Of Oil Continues Upward

Posted on June 16, 2008
I'm on vacation today with the whole family (meaning we are using the Suburban).  Stopped to get gas and blew the entire vacation budget.  Wow!  Anyway, got me wondering just how fast the price of oil has been increasing. At the beginning of 2006, oil was $60 per barrel...

Were You Born To Blog? Chicago Panel of Bloggers Provides Insights

Posted on June 16, 2008
I will be joining John Wallbillich (The Wired GC) and Mark Herrmann (Drug and Device Law) on a panel to discuss our thoughts on the value of blogging.  The two-hour panel -- "Were You Born To Blog?" -- will take place in Chicago next Wednesday, June 25, from 3 to 5 p...

Budgeting For Litigation: No Excuses

Posted on June 12, 2008
The excuses are as numerous as they are legendary: "I didn't know the other side was actually going to take depositions.""Who knew the court would actually want a brief on the summary judgment motion?""We've got no chance of winning the motion but it will help us 'educate' the judge...

"First and foremost, we want you happy."

Posted on May 21, 2008
You might imagine that my standards for client service are pretty high.  Those who know me best would disagree with "pretty high" and substitute "unreasonably high."  So I don't have too many examples of being on the receiving end of great client service...

Stories of Character

Posted on May 01, 2008
If you don't know this man, if you haven't heard his "last lecture," I urge you (when you have 76 minutes) to grab a box of tissues and watch it.  In this picture, we're introduced to Sara Tucholsky (center) of Western Oregon University and Mallory Holtman (right) and Liz Wallace (left) of Central Washington University...

Merger Creates Pressure On Hourly Rates

Posted on April 29, 2008
From today's Chicago Tribune Business Section:  Seven partners have left  Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell (catchy name, eh?) to create a new firm representing insurance companies in litigation.  The reason?  Pressure to increase hourly rates in this practice area by as much as 50%...

A Short Discussion Of Today's Headlines: Any Reason For Lawyers To Smile Yet?

Posted on April 27, 2008
Ever since Gerry Riskin wrote his "Doom and Gloom" post last August, I have been paying much closer attention to the economy that I have before, especially to the factors Gerry highlighted in his post.  Regular readers know I have posted frequently on this topic, not only because I think the topic is generally important but also because writing about it makes me think about it...

The Unique Relationship Between Clients and Lawyers: The Lawyer's View

Posted on April 26, 2008
Trust me, for a moment at least, that all of the following points eventually will come together. Every time I have the opportunity, I ask in-house counsel about whether their lawyers conduct formal or informal satisfaction meetings.  Almost invariably, the answer is no...

Valorem Offers Its Thanks To Many

Posted on April 21, 2008
My partners and I have been touched--and surprised--by the many kind emails we've received from so many about our new website.  The substantial majority have been encouraging.  Many have offered constructive input, and we already have made many changes to the Valorem Law Group website based on input we've received...

Valorem Website Goes Live. Comments Requested.

Posted on April 11, 2008
Valorem's website is now live.  I really haven't had to put together a website before--it is a lot harder than I imagined.  Anyway, we are trying to be clear about our message and communicate a bit more personality than the ordinary law firm website...

Valorem Grows! Nicole Nehama Auerbach Joins Valorem.

Posted on April 06, 2008
     I am thrilled to announce that Nicole Nehama Auerbach will be joining Valorem as a member as of April 14.  Nicole is currently a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman in Chicago.  Nicole concentrates her practice on all facets of complex commercial litigation, focusing on the strategic development of complex cases in order to posture them for favorable resolution, and when good business deals cannot be had, Nicole tries the case...

Recession And Law Firm Revenue

Posted on April 03, 2008
You have to love the headline writers at the New York Times and the fun they have with Fed-speak.  Fed-speak is the language the Fed Chairman must use since he can't utter the R-word.  So Bernanke says today, "It now appears likely that real gross domestic product, or G...

More Evidence Of Corporate America Rallying Against The Billable Hour

Posted on April 02, 2008
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I attended (and spoke at) the American Conference Institute program on Controlling Legal Expenses.  Both the speaker roster and the attendees were predominantly inside counsel, with a heavy emphasis on those involved in litigation...

Bad Economy: A Long-Term Issue?

Posted on March 28, 2008
   In August, Gerry Riskin wrote his prediction that Doom and Gloom was in our future.  I asked Gerry if he would share the factors that informed his prediction.  He listed these:     Currency fluctuations    Price of oil    Price of precious metals    Increase and decrease in “real” jobs    Geographic location of those jobs    Political stability of job locations    Foreign relations as they affect business    Balance of Trade between countries and regions    Housing markets (not just prices – but demand)    Auto market (demand)    Credit levels (or should I say “debt levels”)    Interest rates (they are not falling, in fact, get ready…)    The advent of the largely unregulated Hedge Fund industry    The establishment pensions that invest in Hedge Funds    The Domino effect – how one indicator impacts many others In January, Gerry wrote on this topic again, Recession-Proof your Law Firm...

Client Service Insights Back For Season 2

Posted on March 26, 2008
I am happy to welcome Leo Bottary back to the blogosphere.  Leo wrote, then retired from writing--and is now back writing!--the terrific Client Service Insights.  His innaugural post for his "second season" explains what he's been up to--lots of changes...

And So Should Lawyers (Treat Legal Fees The Same Way Executives Treat Business Issues)

Posted on March 18, 2008
Michael Maslanka, a lawyer from Texas, authored an article in Texas Lawyer that popped up on law.com today.  The article advises GCs to treat legal fees the same way executives treat business issues.  Beginning with the premise that increased associate salaries are akin to a rise in the company's raw materials, Maslanka writes: Don't belabor the rise -- the cost of a company's raw materials goes up just like a firm's...

Problems--The Mother's Milk of Innovation

Posted on March 12, 2008
In the post just below this one, I wrote about the associate turnover problem confronting BigLaw.  As I was writing, I thought about the wonderful opportunity that problem creates for firms like Valorem.  If you were thinking of purchasing a lamp, and were given a choice, would you rather pay $300 for the lamp or $150?  It's not a trick question...

Lost Generation of Associates. Can We Count On Firms To Find A Solution?

Posted on March 12, 2008
By some measurements, 50% of new associates leave their high-paid jobs at AmLaw 200 firms within 4 years.  Two-thirds of these departures of the associate's choice, not the firm's.  And the reason for such departures, in the main, is that associates are given drudge work with no real responsibility...

Interested In Improving Your Business Development Skills?

Posted on March 11, 2008
Jim Hassett,  the author of the outstanding Legal Business Development blog, has a new product out (new to me at least)  that really is worth your time.  Appropriately named the Legal Business Development Success Kit, Jim has put together in audio course that combines anecdotes and data from a number of different sources in an easy-to-listen-to manner, a book containing leading business development practices and much more...

Valorem At Two Months

Posted on February 25, 2008
I have had several requests to post an update on Valorem.  Is it working?  What have I learned?  It is working.  I've learned a lot.  Thanks for asking. Okay, that's a pretty thin answer.  But humor is really important in a start-up...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.