Patrick McKenna – McKenna Associates Inc.

Here’s my newest issue of International Review – an issue that I hope contains a balanced blend of thoughtful insight and practical contributions on law firm strategy and leadership. Today, I believe we face a time when doing…more

At a time when the demand for legal services is on a decline, the root of all successful strategy lies in being differentiated. Your firm and your individual practice groups must all work at making themselves distinctive and…more

A lack of effective oversight can allow even a well-intentioned managing partner to go bad…more

The latest issue of my International Review 24-page magazine is hitting the desks of law firm leaders everywhere. Once again this issue contains a number of pragmatic articles on law firm management and strategy: • Sliced…more

services, the pathetic state of the economy and begrudging the increasing power of clients, one discussion centered around metrics – financial and performance-oriented measures. While we are all familiar with the usual…more

This 24-page magazine contains a number of pragmatic articles on law firm management and strategy. I am pleased to have been putting out this magazine for some years now. It essentially started when I first began mailing…more

A recent Legal Week article claimed that according to some new research . . . the CEO is primarily responsible for a massive 82% of law firm appointments for organisations with sales up to $500m..." The authors of this study…more

I witness this same scenario play itself out, time after time, and we never seem to learn. Imagine this: The practice group leader or managing partner has their attention drawn to the fact that one of our beloved partners is…more

Dear Valued Clients and Friends: I trust that you enjoyed a most productive and restful summer. I am hopeful that you will find this latest issue of International Review to contain a number of practical ideas, tips and…more

Here is a provocative scenario: You are in your early fifties, a successful practitioner and in the midst of your best revenue-generating years, when your partners ask you to take on being the firm’s next managing partner. Your…more

Whenever I think about the effort that is required to go into implementing your firm’s strategic plan, I’m reminded of a particular business book title that grabbed my attention when I first saw it . . . Hope Is Not A Strategy! …more

Co-managing partners have become more common as law firms struggle to find partners who aspire to be full-time managers. Yet embracing shared leadership brings its own challenges…more

You are at the stage of having worked with the members of your Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) for a number of months to finally come to the point where you have a draft strategic plan that has been approved by the partners…more

One of the more profound things that I learned, that I try to pass along to new leaders, be they managing partners or practice heads is to “act like you are on stage at all times, because you are!” Everything you do and say…more

I’m currently collaborating with a colleague who is doing a lengthy research project attempting to identify the characteristics, traits and behaviors of the most effective law firm managing partners. In our most recent…more