Why So Many U.S. Law Firms Need to Be in Germany

Now that I better understand the German legal market—and the reason so many U.S.-based law firms are in multiple cities in the country (article here)—I am wondering what U.S. –based firms in Russia are up to. Stay tuned.

—Lori Tripoli

The Politics of Purchasing

I was sitting at a relatively small conference that featured several sponsors, one of which happened to be an office supply company, and had the joy of hearing the sponsor—very  loudly, fairly angrily—dressing down the conference organizer. The reason? A rival’s notepads (with clearly printed logo at the very top) had been distributed to all of the attendees.  The conference organizer was somewhat clueless: “I just ran out to get some paper for everyone, and this was the closest.” I’m betting that the sponsor kept its wallet a bit more closed the following year.

This enlightening experience is a reminder that law firms need to pay attention, too, to their buying habits. In an ideal world, of course, firms would simply focus on the most environmentally friendly products. But there’s more to buying than being environmentally correct. Firms have their clients to think about.  Are you representing a coffee company but supplying your own coffee makers with the beans of a competitor?  Is a manufacturer of copiers one of your biggest clients? Are you using its machines? Even on a smaller scale, firms can extend a courtesy to their clients. Is a restaurateur a client? Would it kill you to host a business lunch at her space?

Someone at a firm needs to pay attention to these niceties and guide deciders as they make their selections. A low-level law firm employee might be thinking he’s saving the firm money by buying the cheaper legal pads without realizing that he’s ticking off a client who very much is paying attention to what’s on the conference table at business meetings. Don’t buy on the fly. A firm should make well-coordinated decisions, based on far more than cost, when supplying its business.

—Lori Tripoli

Are You Networking for Your Firm or for Yourself?

This depressing but not entirely surprising report from Am Law Daily (“Citi MidyearReport Sees Signs of Trouble Ahead for Firms”) is a reminder that law firm employees as well as partners need to pay close attention to firm finances and protect themselves accordingly. Of course, figuring out how a firm is actually doing is far easier (though sometimes still very complicated) if one happens to have achieved partnership rank. For the masses, though, assessing just how well a firm is doing without having actual access to some data can be a matter of being internally well-positioned on the firm’s grapevine. Sure, firm administrators aren’t exactly fond of whispering campaigns and will likely do all they can to stop them, but anyone working anywhere during this Great Recession can’t afford to be blissfully unaware of a firm’s financial status.

If the business is not doing well, of course, people working for it should do all they can help it perform better. But in this day when firm loyalty and lifetime careers at a single firm are ever hazier memories, people also need to preserve their futures. Would you be ready to jump ship next month if your implodes by the end of this one?

Personally, I would be keeping my name out there. At networking functions—whether on my own time or that of my firm—I would be being ever more social, forward, assertive. I’d network on my firm’s behalf, but I’d also be certain that people learned who I am and became aware of my talents. In house, I’d be sure to keep my ear to the ground to get a better fix on what was actually going on. I wouldn’t wait until a firm service was cut off (access to a database, phone service, power) to figure out whether I was on a sinking ship. I would do what I could to support my firm, but I would also remember to protect myself.

—Lori Tripoli

Kicking Back a Bit and Proud of It

A partner once told me I was a slave to my law firm, and any number of law firm managers do indeed act as if associates are simply rats on a treadmill, beings that need to be fed and watered every now and then to yield maximum performance.  No matter what workaholic message those at the top might constantly try to convey, I have no problem with easing up a bit, especially in the summertime.  Coming in a little late, leaving a bit early, lingering at lunch—what’s the harm of it? Lawyers work hard; their support staff work hard, and I’ve always found that I’m far more willing to launch a no-holds-barred effort if I’ve been slacking just a bit just before. It’s not that I’m doing nothing in my down times; I’m just not doing everything as quickly and intensely. I’m spending more time to think and less time tirelessly researching, writing, marketing, selling. As everyone who’s worked in one knows, law firms can be very intense places. To me, there’s no harm in lightening the load every now and then so that you can excel later.

Not quite ready to relax? Then consider these tips for what to do when everyone else is at the beach.

—Lori Tripoli

The Day After a Partner Dies

Two lawyers I know in the same small law firm died in the last six months, one unexpectedly, the other at a relatively young age whose death from cancer came as a bit of a surprise as his illness apparently was a closely guarded secret. I can certainly understand the desire for privacy at what is an exceedingly stressful time, but I am left wondering what will become of the firm. Of course, every law firm should have some sort of succession plan in place, and a firm’s partnership agreement may well address it. But, as a practical matter, what happens the day after the name partner’s funeral? Who is now in charge of the office? Does that person really have a good grasp of how the firm functions on a day-to-day basis? Does that person know what the dead partner was working on, where the files are, whether payments have been made, the last time the partner even spoke to the client? 

Even in cases where death or retirements are expected, transitions might not be easy. Moreover, lawyers who have experienced the sudden death of a colleague tend not to be quite so forthcoming about a bit of disarray that may have been left behind, especially as office members as well as clients are likely going through a mourning process. The reality is: some files may be at the lawyer’s home, notes may not be as up-to-date as ideally they should be, recent timesheets may not have been completed. What is a law firm to do? Plan ahead, of course, often and well. Ideally, successors would have already been prepared for their roles and would be able to step into their newly authoritative positions seamlessly. But many small-business owners, which small firm lawyers are, like to keep their heads in the sand about the future of their businesses and their own eventual deaths. Someone needs to ask, early and often, what happens if the firm leadership gets hit by a bus tomorrow? Who would know what to do next?