What About Paris? : August 13, 2006 - August 19, 2006 Archives

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August 19, 2006

"You Can Take It [Biglaw Practice] With You."

Bravo. From well-respected D.C. lawyer and blogger Carolyn Elefant at My Shingle, it's right here.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

Environmental Boutique: The Right Stuff, The Right Clients and a New Blog.

American environmental lawyer Walter James interests us because he (1) left a large law firm but refuses to bottom-feed (high-end clients reportedly followed him out), (2) does corporate environmental law and (3) has a new site, Environmental Crimes Blog. And now "WAC?" can talk to another blogger about RCRA, CERCLA, PRPs, TSCA, NEPA, CWA Section 404, the 1990 CAA Amendments, USTs, ASTs and ISO 14001 without fearing his eyes will glaze over.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

Visit the world's first directory of ADR blogs.

This week Boston-based Diane Levin, author of Online Guide to Mediation, launched the first World Directory of Alternative Dispute Resolution Blogs . Already Levin's international directory has attracted 60 ADR-friendly blogs. The guide is a valuble new tool for clients, GCs and trial people. ADR, which includes both mediation and arbitration, continues to pick up speed globally. Non-U.S. corporations in deals with American parties in particular are increasingly wary of the expense, delays and inefficiencies in obtaining results in U.S. state and federal court systems. And, along with many American companies, they are demanding arbitrations over traditional trial courts. ADR is finally on a roll everywhere. See the World Directory of ADR Blogs.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2006

Make client service standards part of each employee review.

We've discussed this idea before. If (a) you have chosen to build a truly client-centric firm, and (b) some of your partners and employees don't buy into constant improvement and innovation in customer service, tell them goodbye. Do that right away. Your co-workers either love--or don't love--the idea of great customer service. You can't teach people to get excited about it. Don't try.

But if they do "get it", keep those people, and challenge them to keep thinking and improving by incorporating specific customer service standards and goals into each employee performance review. Those standards may vary from position to position and from employee to employee. Whatever they are, make them as important as technical skills. Measure yourself and your employees by them.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

Go east, young dude: What's so special about China, anyway?

For answers, see a couple of great new posts at Asia Business Intelligence and Asia Business Law (a bonus is ABL quotes Hunter Thompson). And here's an excerpt from ABI:

Possibly more so than ever, international law firms are targeting Asia, and especially Greater China. More and more newly-qualified lawyers are starting their careers with aspirations and intentions to work in Asia, and many are approaching the path as "Asia specialists" first, lawyers second.

Read these. "You bought the ticket, take the ride..."

Posted by JD Hull at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

Well, I think this is international legal news.

From Charon QC...the Blawg, our London pundit, spiritual leader and alter-ego of Mike Semple Piggot, here is "Bar in China Allows Customer to Beat Up Staff", based on a BBC report from earlier this month. Next week "WAC?" promises to give the correct explanation of "QC", or Queen's Counsel, a distinction given to barristers for over 400 years. And even more prestigious than Super-Lawyer.

Posted by JD Hull at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2006

A New GC Blog That High-End Boutiques Will Want To Read.

First Geoffrey Gussis at InhouseBlog, and then Robert Ambrogi at Legal Blog Watch, report "Fortune 500 First: GC Launches Blog". Our new blogger will be Mike Dillon, GC at Sun Microsystems.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:12 PM | Comments (0)

Mindsets, Paradigms and Other Prisons.

Rob Millard at The Adventure of Strategy is one of the few voices in the blogosphere who can use the word "mindset" and WAC? will still take him seriously. And, seriously, see his fine short post "The Enemy is Mindset"--or what I'd call the difficult art of seeing everything all the time as if you are seeing it for the first time. Or something like that. Rob's piece is inspired in part by a good post from Innovation Zen. WAC? will now repair to its study with a view of the mountains to burn floral incense and read The Upanishads.

Posted by JD Hull at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2006

File This Under "Makes Way Too Much Sense".

Read "The Best Way to Market Yourself Is To Be Who You Are" by Allison Shields at her always-thoughtful Legal Ease Blog.

Posted by JD Hull at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

Ouch, indeed.

See today's post by Chicago trial lawyer Pat Lamb called "The Wide Gulf Between Lawyer Perceptions And Those Of Their Clients". Note in particular Pat's quote of the comment of McDonald's Managing Counsel Robert Johnson: "Firms claim to understand our business model, but many do not walk the walk. They're more interested in impressing us with their esoteric philosophies than in reaching a resolution."

Posted by JD Hull at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2006

Blawg Review #70...

...is novel, truly unique and graphically interesting. It can boast an even better than usual collection of posts from Blawging's A-List. This week's Blawg Review is hosted by Preaching to the Perverted, the blawg--not be confused with the delightful and warm British family film of the same name.

Posted by JD Hull at 05:01 PM | Comments (0)