Corcoran: Infighting on Compensation Costs BigLaw Time and Money
How Bryan Cave Grooms Rainmakers
For the law firms that made headlines in 2024 by opening new offices, 2025 brings a new directive: filling these locations with profitable rainmakers. If you’re among the law firm leaders scouting talent in a new or growing...more
When it comes to legal rainmakers, researchers have identified five specific types – and determined which is most likely to succeed. The Rainmaker Genome Project, a survey sponsored by Inapp and conducted by DCM Insights,...more
Perhaps not surprisingly, two of the most frequent and challenging requests we currently receive are for assistance with “thinking through growth questions” (aka, “mergers and acquisitions”) and “dealing with generational...more
I’ve seen a few merger negotiations recently that really caught my attention because they may foreshadow a new type of law firm merger – a pure talent grab. Interestingly, none of these discussions resulted in an actual...more
In this episode of On Record PR, Gina Rubel goes On Record with Deborah Farone, founder of Farone Advisors, LLC, to discuss best practices for personal business development for lawyers and other professionals. Deborah is the...more
Are rainmakers born or made? As law firms certainly would like to manufacture more partners of the business-generating variety, there has been significant study on the psychological makeup, personality traits and even birth...more
Many of our clients ask us to help them with presentation skills and we’re more than happy to comply because this is an important skill to develop. But, there is a time and a place for “presenting.”...more
What is a rainmaker? A rainmaker is an attorney who, through his or her reputation, visibility, and community contacts, develops and generates a significant amount of legal business for himself and herself, and his or her law...more
The legal world is abuzz with talk of disruption from various “legaltech” software companies, but disruption actually happens all the time in law firms (both big and small). New problems crop up, requiring new expertise. New...more
Business development directors and managers are often tasked with coaching lawyers but many don’t have a business development or coaching background. Despite interest and enthusiasm, some of these very capable people are...more
I talk with a lot of lawyers. And everyone at one point or another has lost business to a competitor. Sometimes, one never gets the opportunity to compete in the first place. The secret to more wins is to turn an objection...more
I recently attended the Legal Sales and Service Organization’s Raindance Conference in Chicago, which, by the way, I highly recommend. The keynote speaker, Jeff Kaplan, PhD of the J. Alan Group, spoke about a growing trend in...more
Blame the business structure of law firms, implicit bias, pipeline issues, or just the intransigent unwillingness of those in power to play fair, but when it comes to increasing the number of attorneys of color in law firms...more
Many of our clients ask us to help them with presentation skills and we’re more than happy to comply because this is an important skill to develop. But, there is a time and a place for “presenting.” I contend that presenting...more
If you really want to get someone to do something, you need to give him/her a reason—a gun to the face, a bonus at the end of the year, the threat of a job loss. We all know this. It’s ingrained in our psyche and into...more
I hope that everyone is following the Marchuk v. Faruqi & Faruqi sexual harassment trial that is taking place as we speak in Manhattan. If you haven’t been, then now is the time to start!...more
In recent years, as client fee pressure has increased and client loyalty has decreased, law firms are investing significant time and money in business development programs. Some partners receive training to dust off selling...more
I was recently invited to present at a law firm retreat on the topic of closing skills, presumably in the hopes that my remarks would magically transform reluctant partners into willing rainmakers. As the partner in charge...more