Closing a law practice
The New Hampshire Bar Association Ethics Committee, in May 2007, wrote an opinion or (my term) "white paper" as part of its ethics studies on closing a law practice.
It's a good summary of factors to consider, though certainly not complete. And, since the date of this opinion/white paper, the Supreme Court of NH has approved a new set of Rules of Professional Conduct which include Rule 1.17 explicitly permitting the sale of a law practice in NH for the first time.
It's a good summary of factors to consider, though certainly not complete. And, since the date of this opinion/white paper, the Supreme Court of NH has approved a new set of Rules of Professional Conduct which include Rule 1.17 explicitly permitting the sale of a law practice in NH for the first time.
Sale of law practice o.k. in New Hampshire
Rule 1.17 was adopted this month in New Hampshire, effective January 1, 2008. It's rule 1.17 provides, as does the ABA Model Rule 1.17, that an entire law practice, or an area of a law practice, can be sold. (Thanks to Bruce Dorner for the
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Airstream rally
For those following our Airstream adventure, we've got a few pictures for you.
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Also included below is a shot of a couple of our grandchildren who spent a night with us at the rally.
We went to our second rally, a rally of other Airstreamers ... felt almost like a law firm retreat ... with as many different agendas as usually appear in such retreats! This retreat, however, focused on the social conviviality of the attendees ... it was more like getting to know your partners at the retreat than seeking to gain consensus on a serious challenge to the firm..
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Also included below is a shot of a couple of our grandchildren who spent a night with us at the rally.
We went to our second rally, a rally of other Airstreamers ... felt almost like a law firm retreat ... with as many different agendas as usually appear in such retreats! This retreat, however, focused on the social conviviality of the attendees ... it was more like getting to know your partners at the retreat than seeking to gain consensus on a serious challenge to the firm..
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Disaster Preparedness & Business Continuity is Focus of Presentation
Press Release:
Immediate Release July 26, 2007
Edward Poll, principal of LawBiz® Management Co., spoke at the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators about disaster preparedness on Thursday, July 26th in San Jose, CA.
Poll, the author of the new publication, Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms: A LawBiz® Special Report, discussed ways to get law firms to plan for recovery in order to assure their business continuity in the event of an otherwise debilitating catastrophe, whether natural or man-made.
Poll said, “The issue for most of us isn’t if a disaster will occur, but rather when a disaster occurs, what should we do in order to recover quickly and effectively.”
In response to a question from the audience, Poll said “... that no recovery plan can succeed without the involvement and support of the top management of the law firm and all its stakeholders such as the principal lawyers, associates and staff.” Statistics show that only 30% of businesses hit with disaster survive after 5 years of the event.
Michael Hirsch, former FEMA Deputy General Counsel, said “This publication provides excellent guidance on how to develop plans to prepare for and respond to all types of catastrophes ... Such planning can be critical to the ability to survive following such events.” The new book is the most comprehensive collection in one place of ideas to help plan for and then deal with a disaster when it occurs.
Michael Hirsch, continued “... I highly recommend it (this book) for attorneys and law firms as a basic document on how to be prepared to respond to and recover from disasters.”
Ed Poll is a leading authority in the field of law practice management and the Principal of LawBiz® Management Co., a firm that consults with and coaches lawyers and law firms throughout the United States, England, Australia and Mexico. Poll is a Board Approved (SAC®) Coach to the Legal Profession, and a charter member of the Million Dollar Consultant’s™ Hall of Fame.
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Immediate Release July 26, 2007
Edward Poll, principal of LawBiz® Management Co., spoke at the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators about disaster preparedness on Thursday, July 26th in San Jose, CA.
Poll, the author of the new publication, Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms: A LawBiz® Special Report, discussed ways to get law firms to plan for recovery in order to assure their business continuity in the event of an otherwise debilitating catastrophe, whether natural or man-made.
Poll said, “The issue for most of us isn’t if a disaster will occur, but rather when a disaster occurs, what should we do in order to recover quickly and effectively.”
In response to a question from the audience, Poll said “... that no recovery plan can succeed without the involvement and support of the top management of the law firm and all its stakeholders such as the principal lawyers, associates and staff.” Statistics show that only 30% of businesses hit with disaster survive after 5 years of the event.
Michael Hirsch, former FEMA Deputy General Counsel, said “This publication provides excellent guidance on how to develop plans to prepare for and respond to all types of catastrophes ... Such planning can be critical to the ability to survive following such events.” The new book is the most comprehensive collection in one place of ideas to help plan for and then deal with a disaster when it occurs.
Michael Hirsch, continued “... I highly recommend it (this book) for attorneys and law firms as a basic document on how to be prepared to respond to and recover from disasters.”
Ed Poll is a leading authority in the field of law practice management and the Principal of LawBiz® Management Co., a firm that consults with and coaches lawyers and law firms throughout the United States, England, Australia and Mexico. Poll is a Board Approved (SAC®) Coach to the Legal Profession, and a charter member of the Million Dollar Consultant’s™ Hall of Fame.
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NY advertising prohibition rules reviewed by court
Thanks to a note from David Abeshouse, here is a brief comment from the president of the State Bar of New York:
" ... In Alexander v. Cahill, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York analyzed the lawyer advertising and solicitation rules adopted by the Appellate Division of Supreme Court effective February 1, 2007. The Court upheld many of the rules, but did find some portions unconstitutional as protected free speech under the First Amendment. The decision is available online at www.nysba.org/AttyAdvCourtDecision. ... "
New York Bar committees will review the issues further in light of the Court decision and, thus, the rules are still in flux.
" ... In Alexander v. Cahill, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York analyzed the lawyer advertising and solicitation rules adopted by the Appellate Division of Supreme Court effective February 1, 2007. The Court upheld many of the rules, but did find some portions unconstitutional as protected free speech under the First Amendment. The decision is available online at www.nysba.org/AttyAdvCourtDecision. ... "
New York Bar committees will review the issues further in light of the Court decision and, thus, the rules are still in flux.
Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms
Disaster Preparedness is Focus of New LawBiz Special Report
Contact: Ed Poll
800-837-5880
edpoll@lawbiz.com
Immediate Release July 24, 2007
Edward Poll, principal of LawBiz® Management Co., announces the publication of Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms: A LawBiz® Special Report. This third in a series of Special Reports on topics of practical and major importance to the effective and profitable management of The Business of Law®, has just been released.
Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms: A LawBiz® Special Report offers guidelines on how lawyers and law firms can prepare to minimize the debilitating impact that disasters of all kinds can have on their law practices and the clients they represent. The issue for most of us isn’t if a disaster will occur, but rather when a disaster occurs, what should we do in order to recover quickly and effectively.
Topics covered include first defining “disaster,” then creating a plan that deals with the various types of disaster that might befall us including fire, earthquake, burst water pipes and, yes, even planes crashing into our buildings. This new book also deals with insurance, financial planning, data recovery and, most importantly, personnel (our “human capital”) planning, among other topics.
Michael Hirsch, former FEMA Deputy General Counsel, said “... I highly recommend it (this book) for attorneys and law firms as a basic document on how to be prepared to respond to and recover from disasters.”
Tom Edwards, Executive Director of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, said “... Ed is the primary architect for my colleagues’ and my firm’s disaster recovery plans and he was, is, and remains a driving force behind our plans.”
“With our first Special Report on Business Competency for Lawyers, LawBiz® began a new kind of book,” Poll states. “ The content is practical yet sophisticated, and provides basics for managing and running a successful law business. This new book is the third in this series.”
Ed Poll is a leading authority in the field of law practice management and the Principal of LawBiz® Management Co., a firm that consults with and coaches lawyers and law firms throughout the United States, England, Australia and Mexico. Poll is a Board Approved (SAC®) Coach to the Legal Profession, and a charter member of the Million Dollar Consultant’s™ Hall of Fame.
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Contact: Ed Poll
800-837-5880
edpoll@lawbiz.com
Immediate Release July 24, 2007
Edward Poll, principal of LawBiz® Management Co., announces the publication of Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms: A LawBiz® Special Report. This third in a series of Special Reports on topics of practical and major importance to the effective and profitable management of The Business of Law®, has just been released.
Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Planning for Law Firms: A LawBiz® Special Report offers guidelines on how lawyers and law firms can prepare to minimize the debilitating impact that disasters of all kinds can have on their law practices and the clients they represent. The issue for most of us isn’t if a disaster will occur, but rather when a disaster occurs, what should we do in order to recover quickly and effectively.
Topics covered include first defining “disaster,” then creating a plan that deals with the various types of disaster that might befall us including fire, earthquake, burst water pipes and, yes, even planes crashing into our buildings. This new book also deals with insurance, financial planning, data recovery and, most importantly, personnel (our “human capital”) planning, among other topics.
Michael Hirsch, former FEMA Deputy General Counsel, said “... I highly recommend it (this book) for attorneys and law firms as a basic document on how to be prepared to respond to and recover from disasters.”
Tom Edwards, Executive Director of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, said “... Ed is the primary architect for my colleagues’ and my firm’s disaster recovery plans and he was, is, and remains a driving force behind our plans.”
“With our first Special Report on Business Competency for Lawyers, LawBiz® began a new kind of book,” Poll states. “ The content is practical yet sophisticated, and provides basics for managing and running a successful law business. This new book is the third in this series.”
Ed Poll is a leading authority in the field of law practice management and the Principal of LawBiz® Management Co., a firm that consults with and coaches lawyers and law firms throughout the United States, England, Australia and Mexico. Poll is a Board Approved (SAC®) Coach to the Legal Profession, and a charter member of the Million Dollar Consultant’s™ Hall of Fame.
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Ed Interviews Rick Borstein, Business Development Manager of the Legal Market for Adobe Systems, Inc.
Once again Ed has the pleasure of interviewing Rick Borstein. Rick is the Business Development Manager of the Legal Market for Adobe Systems, Inc. Among other topics, they discuss the search element of Adobe Acrobat.
18 minutes, 52 seconds
4.4MB
Lawyers can't sell -- Why not?
In a recent article, I read a new reason given for why lawyers hate marketing and can't "sell"! Larry Richard, a Ph.D. psychologist, J.D. and consultant, suggests that lawyers have little or no "resiliency." That's why they cannot sell.
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Value billing - Peter Drucker
Don't leave value to an unknown in your firm.
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Getting paid for your legal work
The Canadian Bar Association has a series on how to get paid. Check it out if you're collecting anything less than 95% of what you bill.
Productizing Your Law Practice
Harry Beckwith is a lawyer. He knows about Selling the Invisible, and maintains that it is far more difficult to sell what we can't see!
Join me in our next West LegalEdcenter teleseminar on July 18th -- 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET.
Join me in our next West LegalEdcenter teleseminar on July 18th -- 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET.
Ed Interviews Carol Fritz
Carol Fritz is a partner in Offshore Services for Lawyers -- based in Philadelphia, PA. They discuss offshore legal work.
07 minutes, 03 seconds
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Lawyers should be compensated for management
The vast majority of lawyers who manage their law firm, whether it be only a few lawyers or the gigantic many hundreds of lawyers firm ("BigLaw"), still bill many hours and don't get paid for also taking on the role of "managing partner."
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Practice management for lawyers -- Blogging lessons
The president of Whole Foods recently revealed that he blogs! Not only does he blog with attribution to himself as CEO of his company, he also blogs under a pseudonym. Under the pseudonym, he failed to disclose his position; he used this blog to make false assertions about the financial condition of a primary competitor, Wild Oats Markets.
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Airstream - Metaphor for marketing a law practice
1. People do business with people they like.
2. Bonds are created among people with like interests.3. Loyalty develops from the bonds among people.
4. Geography, in today’s era of high technology, is no longer a delimiting factor in relationships or in business.
5. Client retention depends on loyalty, not just meeting expectations.
Continue Reading...July 4th - New York
Last Friday, I had the great pleasure of riding my bike, with a friend, up Bear Mountain, a legendary cycling route in this part of the country. I’m here to see my son’s new child, a strapping 8# boy, Mitchell Gibson Poll, my 11th grandchild!
The weather was great, neither too humid nor too hot. Riding with a better rider than I and one who knows the area well was a treat as I didn’t have to worry about what was beyond the next bend in the road or how to get back to our car at the end of the ride. We covered about 41 miles in 3:30 hours; the last descent was like icing on cake and the last ascent was like "just too much!" :-)
On the way up Bear Mountain, we heard cannon from across the Hudson River and saw billowing smoke over the hills. Later, I concluded that the cadets were practicing for July 4th celebrations.
Continue Reading...Building customer relationships is the key to success
"Whatever you do for a living, never forget that you are always in a relationship business. Those darn customers might cause you headaches from time to time, but you ain't got nuthin' without them. Work to build stronger relationships with your customers every day. Work to add more value every day to your customers. Think both in terms of the big picture and the smallest details. Think both in terms of the quality of your products and service and in terms of how the person feels when they are interacting with you. If you make a mistake, admit it and truly make up for it. If you can do something extra for a customer that would really make a difference, do it."
These are the words (emphasis is mine) of Dan Coughlin, in his Business Acceleration Newsletter this month. He cites specific examples of what to do and what not to do in building customers relationships.
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These are the words (emphasis is mine) of Dan Coughlin, in his Business Acceleration Newsletter this month. He cites specific examples of what to do and what not to do in building customers relationships.
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