Legal Marketing

LAW FIRMS: Name Change:Merger:Growth

Large N.J. Firms Getting Bigger, Faster: Growth rate for 2003 triples that of the previous year
Charles Toutant, New Jersey Law Journal, April 27, 2004
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1082923341158

Lateral Hiring Increased at Some Firms in 2003
New York Lawyer, Jeanne Graham, Texas Lawyer, April 21, 2004
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/04/042104h.html

IP Firms Wooing Each Other for Merger
New York Lawyer, May 10, 2004, By Christine Hines, CalLaw.com
Intellectual property firm Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, based in Alexandria, Va., is in talks with Merchant & Gould, a 100-lawyer, Minneapolis-based IP boutique, principals of both firms say.
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/05/051004j.html

Canadian Firm Blows Into Windy City
New York Lawyer, April 29, 2004
Blakes Cassels & Graydon is the first Canadian firm to open an office in Chicago.
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/04/042904j.html

LAW FIRMS: Outsourcing Trends

India Inked

Brenda Sandburg, The Recorder, 01-18-2005
Some law firms are outsourcing patent application work to India. Although the cost savings can be substantial, it takes some work to choose the right company and monitor the results. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1105364113219

Law Firm Outsourcing Is Aim of New Joint Venture
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/06/060704a.html
New York Lawyer, June 7, 2004, By Anthony Lin, New York Law Journal
The joint venture between Hildebrandt and OfficeTiger will help law firms outsource work to India.
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/06/060704a.html

Outsourcing of Work Means Influx of Legal Issues: Lawyers try to get handle on a fledgling practice area
law.com, By John Covaleski, New Jersey Law Journal
“Outsourcing -- one of the biggest waves in the American economy -- is slowly causing a ripple of business at some New Jersey law firms.” Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel of Woodbridge, N.J. represents several New Jersey-based companies that act as intermediaries between outsource services providers overseas and their U.S. clients.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1084824762314

Secret Service: Firms Cashing In on Outsourcing Don't Like to Brag
New York Lawyer, May 25, 2004, By Brenda Sandburg, The Recorder
“After pulling a merger or launching an IPO, transactional lawyers often get to brag. But there's one kind of work that's usually hush-hush: inking outsourcing agreements.”
Companies that farm out operations -- particularly those that send work offshore -- tend to avoid publicity.
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/05/052504i.html

LAW FIRMS: Billing and Compensation Trends

We are posting compilations of articles on various subjects. This will make it easier to spot trends in billing, advertising and other legal marketing issues.

Firm Merger Could Signal Price War
New York Lawyer, February 23, 2004
A recent spate of law firm mergers in Chicago could herald a price war on billing rates in the Windy City, the Chicago Tribune reports. Dykema Gosset, which last week acquired 78-lawyer Rooks Pitts, says that it plans to bill partners at $300 to $325 per hour, about half what the largest full-service firms charge.
The combined firm generates profits per partner of about $375,000, also about half of what most large firms pay out.
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/02/022304e.html

Texas Firms Bump Up Billing Rates, Hold Salaries and Hours Steady
New York Lawyer, May 12, 2004, By Jeanne Graha, Texas Lawyer
“Billing rates on average are increasing by a modest amount in 2004 -- for the third year in a row -- according to Texas Lawyer's annual Salary & Billing Survey”
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/05/051204h.html

Raises in London May Signal Pay War
New York Lawyer, May 19, 2004, By Anthony Lin, New York Law Journal
“A law firm salary war could be brewing, but unfortunately for American associates it is across the pond in London. “
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/05/051904a.html

Partner Defends $3,000 Hourly Billing Rate
New York Lawyer, May 13, 2004
http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/05/051304m.html