Consultants who prowl the corridors of Midsize law firms have been offering gloomy advice for years. “Merge, grow, or die,” they say, as though there are only three alternatives for any business in this market that wishes to prepare for the future. The gloom has sharpened since the Great Recession.  Some pundits are now predicting that by 2035—in roughly 15 years—more than half of the traditional law firms in the Midsize market will no longer exist. Despite such pronouncements, however, the Midsize segment had its best year in a decade in 2018. 

That one good year notwithstanding, many Midsize firms are feeling the pressure. While Big Law firms crow about their commitment to innovation, most Midsize firms are still trying to figure out where they fit in the new legal landscape that is taking shape. Some have embraced the “merge, grow, or die” dictum, and are busy trying to expand in some manner. Many others are still studying the problem and taking the first tentative steps—appointing committees, for example, or designating partners to lead their efforts. The key descriptor for much of this activity seems to be innovation—hence, we see the multiplication of innovation committees, innovation partners, innovation initiatives, etc.

Edited by E Leigh Dance and Christoph H Vaagt, the second edition of General Counsel in the 21st Century offers general counsel and all in-house legal professionals a variety of expert perspectives on the evolution of the role of the GC and the corporate legal department. Chapters are written by an international group of well-known general counsel, corporate legal leaders, and other experts, and cover important topics for general counsel today, including legal operations, how adaptive legal functions are embracing technology, managing change, and doing more with less.

Growth is an imperative for any successful business. Law firms facing rising costs, pricing pressure, and the need to invest in staff, resources, and service delivery are finding that growth is not as easy to achieve as formerly, and that market share must be wrestled from the competition. 

Horizon Scanning: Modernizing Legal Service Delivery takes a look at the ways in which the delivery of legal services might change in the foreseeable future, bringing together the advice of leading industry practitioners and consultants who scan the legal horizon for indicators of change, offering their predictions, and sharing experience and practical guidance to help law firm leaders prepare for what is coming up next.

How do firms break out of the pack and put themselves in a position to enjoy sustained success? ​How to Become the Firm of Choice provides the answer: firms have to make an explicit decision to become “the firm of choice” in their chosen markets. And, in doing so, they must move their operations to the next level.

Examining the impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on legal personnel, and the strategies law firm leaders need to consider and adopt to thrive in the new legal ecosystem that will follow.

A deep-dive into the key areas that drive innovation forward in the legal profession

 In-depth advice on how the legal profession can up its game in client experience, offering innovative strategies and pragmatic advice to those law firms needing to improve their CX.

An exploration of the endeavors of various law firms - the problems they have faced, and the solutions they have developed - to improve their KM processes, and, ultimately, their bottom line

Harnessing legal project management as a strategy that is explicitly aligned to a law firm’s or legal department’s business objectives and culture.