Mary K Young writes about the process of law firm mergers, the growing urge for firms to combine, the sensitivity around post-merger firm names, and retaining brand equity.

Greentarget and Zeughauser Group’s latest State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey — our first in three years — revealed that clients of professional services firms see diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a key business priority.

Merger discussions among even some unlikely pairings seem to be heating up. In their new book, Kent Zimmermann and John E. Morris explain why and offer tips on how firms of various sizes and market positions should approach merger discussions.

In this article, Peter Zeughauser reviews the growth of Big Law and outlines what may be expected in 2022, which looks to be another big year for those firms. Size matters. Large firms with high revenue, high margins, and high levels of profitability will likely continue to widen the chasm between themselves and the next tier.

Zeughauser Group's 2021 Pocket Guide to the American Lawyer Rankings of the Am Law 200 by Profits Per Equity Partner and by Value Per Lawyer; The A-List; The Global 100; The Global 200; The China 50; The Asia 50; and The Corporate Scorecard.

If you would like a hard copy of the 2021 ZGuide, please send an email to zgadmin@consultzg.com with "2021 ZGuide Request" in the subject line and provide your mailing address.

Kent Zimmermann and Peter Zeughauser review how, in a difficult year, a subset of firms separated from the rest of the market with double-digit revenue and profits growth. Standout firms are growing faster than their peers by focusing on profitability and reaping the rewards. For 2020’s most successful firms, the year offered valuable insights into the future of their workplaces, their talent and their overall trajectory.

In this article, Alex Dimitreif discusses important billing principles and the need for detailed budgets. Law firms can no longer afford to view billing and budgeting as necessary evils or relegate them to backroom administrators. Outside counsel should seize upon the billing process as a vehicle for thoughtful discussions with clients about how assignments will be handled. Up-front exchanges about how much a matter will cost should facilitate dialogue on a client’s objectives and how best to achieve them. Interim bills should serve as informative status reports and alert clients to potential issues. Final bills should stimulate candid discussions about how the law firm performed and whether the client’s expectations were met.

By bringing in-person client interactions to a virtual halt, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a digital content explosion as law firms compete for the attention of clients and prospects. A new study of in-house counsel shows that providing substantive, actionable guidance remains the best way to rise above the noise, preserve existing client relationships, and win new ones.

These findings are detailed in the report, “How to Win and Protect Client Relationships in the Age of Remote Engagement,” released by strategic communications firm Greentarget, legal consultancy Zeughauser Group, and B2B branding agency Right Hat. The August 2020 survey of 75 in-house lawyers, including 37 general counsel, offers important guidance for law firms anticipating an extended period of remote outreach

Zeughauser Group's 2020 Pocket Guide to the American Lawyer Rankings of the Am Law 200 by Profits Per Equity Partner and by Value Per Lawyer; The A-List; The Global 100; The Global 200; The China 45; The Asia 50; and The Corporate Scorecard.

You can download the ZGuide here.

If you would like a hard copy of the 2020 ZGuide, please send an email to zgadmin@consultzg.com with "2020 ZGuide Request" in the subject line and provide your mailing address.

Alex Dimitrief writes that business, legal and governance journals are replete with articles illustrating how crises reveal the true character of companies and their leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest sparked by deadly police brutality against minorities confirm that this adage holds just as true when it comes to a company’s commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

Recent criminal charges against former eBay employees show how bad things can get when employees are not encouraged to step forward and report unethical behaviors. In this article, Alex Dimitrief says employees are motivated to raise concerns when leaders set positive examples and unequivocally welcome the scrutiny of principled investigations of alleged misconduct at senior levels, the polar opposite of the Trump administration’s firing of inspectors general and unseating of the U.S. Attorney in New York.

Alex Dimitrief discusses ten lessons he learned at General Electric during the financial crisis and other periods of angst about how general counsel and their teams can help their companies navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

Alex Dimitrief advises that the most important guiding principles for outside counsel during a crisis are to be helpful and to steer clear of anything that might be construed as insensitivity to a client’s distress.

Peter Zeughauser provides recommendations on how law firms can prepare for a likely economic downturn due to COVID-19.

Alex Dimitrief writes that three whistleblowers have recently dominated the headlines. The first was an intelligence specialist who anonymously raised concerns about potentially inappropriate interactions between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine. The second was Mike Fiers, a former pitcher for the Houston Astros, who revealed to reporters that his team had used video cameras to steal signs of opposing pitchers. The third was Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist who posted a WeChat note last New Year’s Eve about patients at Wuhan Central Hospital who had contracted pneumonia after frequenting a local seafood market and warned about what he suspected was a new and dangerously transmittable coronavirus. These high-profile cases serve as powerful reminders of the value and importance of whistleblowers to organizations committed to operating with integrity.

A political stand on LGBTQ rights by GE five years ago met with acclaim in many quarters but also led to criticism from some legislators and to a contentious proposal at the company’s annual meeting claiming strategic hypocrisy. But the harshest criticism came from employees who disagreed with the company’s position and lamented that “political correctness” had run amok at GE.

Alex Demetrief relates the backstory to the challenges GE’s leadership faced after taking on the issue, one that offers lessons for directors to consider as more and more companies ponder corporate activism.

A political stand on LGBTQ rights by GE five years ago met with acclaim in many quarters but also led to criticism from some legislators and to a contentious proposal at the company’s annual meeting claiming strategic hypocrisy. But the harshest criticism came from employees who disagreed with the company’s position and lamented that “political correctness” had run amok at GE. Alex Dimitrief writes about the challenges GE’s leadership faced after taking on the issue and offers lessons for directors to consider as more and more companies ponder corporate activism. In today’s body politic, however, even the most well-intentioned corporate activism on social and political issues will never be easy or for the faint of heart.

Zeughauser Group's 2019 Pocket Guide to the American Lawyer Rankings of the Am Law 200 by Profits Per Equity Partner and by Value Per Lawyer; The A-List; The Global 100; The Global 200; The China 45; and The Corporate Scorecard.

You can download the ZGuide here

If you would like a hard copy of the 2019 ZGuide, please send an email to zgadmin@consultzg.com with "2019 ZGuide Request" in the subject line and provide your mailing address.