Ed Wesemann

2011 Banner Year for Mergers

Much has been written about 2011 being a banner year for mergers including articles in the Wall Street Journal and the American Lawyer. It is true that there were somewhere around 60 mergers involving U.S. firms last year and that represents a 54 percent increase from 2010. But this may be much ado about relatively [...]

T.J.L.U. – Sufficient Motivation for a Merger?

When a law firm leader is asked why his or her firm is considering a merger with a particular firm, the most common answer you hear is, “They’re just like us.” It’s probably human nature to seek out kindred spirits, and certainly dealing with people who share your values and have a similar history is [...]

Breaking the Wall: Six Rules to Managing The Three Million Dollar Practice and Beyond

It is relatively rare to find a major business developer in a law firm who maintains a truly large practice. Certainly there are situations where a partner is the responsible attorney for a large corporate relationship that may involve $10 or $15 million in billings. There are situations where, by virtue of a relationship with [...]

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

For the past decade, law firms have taken the easy way out with personnel decisions. To avoid making hard choices and delivering uncomfortable messages, U.S. law firms have gone on a staffing spree with non-equity partner positions. As a result, firms find themselves massively overstaffed at the partner level. While there are no quick fixes [...]

Swimming in the Blue Ocean

Law firm leaders frequently ask, “Where is the blue ocean?” What they really mean is, “Where are the opportunities? What practices, locations and industries are not being fully served; where could the firm gain a “first mover” advantage?” But when faced with a rare opportunity to be a first mover, most firms balk precisely because [...]

Eight Tracks and Cassettes

It’s difficult to pick up any periodical dealing with the practice of law these days without reading about some new trend that is going to revolutionize the relationship of law firms and their clients. Whether talking about legal project management, outsourcing, alternative fees or corporate legal departments recruiting directly out of law schools, there are [...]