After 20 years in partner recruiting, I have learned from hundreds of recruiters and thousands of candidates what motivates partners to change firms. And it might surprise you to learn that money is usually far down – or...more
Is it budgeting season already? Legal Operations are often asked to own the legal department’s budgeting efforts, and many find the process painful. Finance may provide a template to fill out, but it can be difficult to...more
A recent article on Law.com, Partners Confront ‘Deeply Uncomfortable’ Client Communications on Soaring Billing Rates, highlighted a growing trend in the legal industry: many firms are shifting away from personal...more
As summer peaks with days hitting a sweltering 100 degrees, it might be challenging to think about the heart of the fiscal 2025 winter season. Our strategic pricing calendar reminds us that this time of year presents an...more
Do you want to see something scary? Borderline terrifying? Foreshadowing of major, inevitable changes in the practice and business of law? Take a look at this horror-show of a chart from the Thomson Reuters Institute &...more
As the year begins, law firms transition their pricing focus from the planning stage to execution. In the second half of 2023, firms were busy evaluating their rates and pricing strategies to prepare for 2024. Currently, the...more
As we usher in 2024, the echoes of 2023’s law firm successes and challenges still linger. Last year, we observed mixed demand, gnawing expenses, the AI frenzy, and talent scarcity. In that tumultuous terrain, I frequently...more
Contrary to popular perception, law firm billing rates do not exhibit a steady upward trajectory. Instead, a closer examination of long-term trends reveals a pattern of cyclical fluctuations in billing rate increases. These...more
As we all gaze into our crystal balls and try to predict what will happen in 2024 with any degree of certainty, our views are pretty hazy. Think back to this time last year, which was filled with much handwringing,...more
I occasionally receive questions about multi-tiered rate structures, which prompted my focus this week. RATE TIER STRATEGY DEFINED Rate tiering is a pricing strategy where law firms offer different rate schedules for their...more
It’s time to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on the traditional billing structure in the legal profession. With the rise of AI and Generative AI technology and its potential to streamline tasks and matters, it...more
In my last two pieces, we navigated the intricate landscape of the 2024 law firm rate setting and broached the powerful bond between law firms and clients when discussing rates and value. Today, let’s venture into the future...more
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison recently announced steps the office is taking as part of its “renewed focus” on medical billing. “The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has long been concerned with medical billing...more
“The moment you make a mistake in pricing, you’re eating into your reputation or your profits,” wisely stated Katherine Paine, emphasizing the critical importance of understanding the strategic value in pricing. As we look...more
You can't put a price on the value of good outside counsel … except when it's time to review their rates. Whether you're putting an annual rate review process in place, negotiating a bill you've already received, evaluating a...more
On July 7, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Department of Human Services, and U.S. Department of Treasury (collectively, the “agencies”) launched an inquiry into high-cost specialty financial products...more
We know cost savings and legal spend management are top on the list of priorities for legal departments. Continuing our three-part article series covering key cost-saving strategies that legal departments should be looking at...more
On February 1, 2023, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for Calendar Year (CY) 2024 for Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates and Part C and D...more
Every litigant wants their attorneys’ fees, but actually recovering them in North Carolina is rare. Fee recovery must be authorized by rule or statute, and fees must be “reasonable.”...more
Charles McNew was injured in a fall at his home in June 2021, and subsequently treated at the Fletcher Hospital emergency room in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Three months later he claims to have suffered an injury of a...more
Today’s blog is the last installment of a three-part series on Big Pricing Misses. Pricing is one of your strongest drivers of profitability. Consequently, improvements here will result in meaningful implications for overall...more
Today’s blog is part two of a three-part series on Big Pricing Misses. In part one, I described the current precarious law firm rate-setting environment that attempts to find value balanced with talent inflation, demand...more
As we look to close out 2022, it has never been more important to execute your pricing strategy well. The competitive market for law firms may be heading into a more challenging time compared to the past five years, and it...more
*This alert was originally published on January 28, 2022 and updated on February 4, 2022. On January 27, 2022, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC or Commission) moved to implement a provision of the bipartisan...more
A recent AP news headline indicated that the price of cars, gasoline, restaurants, food, and other goods matched a 13-year high, raising pressure on the Federal Reserve, “whose officials have repeatedly said the increases...more