Reducing Culture Clashes in a Small Firm Merger
“We’re thinking about combining our firm of three lawyers with another small law firm. Do you have any guidance for us on what to consider in making our decision?” Clients ask me questions like this more frequently these days.
In some cases, a booming law practice has rainmakers looking for experienced help. Some senior lawyers in solo and small firms consider mergers as they begin thinking about succession planning. Sometimes young lawyers with developing practices seek to cut per capita overhead by spreading fixed costs across more fee earners. For some small firms, the merger mania in BigLaw has stimulated them to consider their options.
When contemplating a merger, many risks and rewards must be considered and due diligence investigations should be conducted. Culture clashes undermine mergers more frequently than any other factor, however.
When there are only 5 lawyers in the whole office, common values become even more critical. There is nowhere to hide. Variances in strongly held beliefs and values tend to grow from cracks to chasms. They can threaten the productivity, health and work satisfaction of everyone in the office, as well as the success of the firm as a whole.
Fortunately, with fewer people involved in a small firm, it can be a little easier to identify and discuss issues that may develop into rifts in a law firm partnership. Here are a few subjects to discuss.
1. What is your attitude toward money and the firm’s fiscal policy? Do you advocate leveraging debt to help the firm advance quickly and to weather dry spells? Or do you prefer a more conservative pay-as-you-go approach, relying on partners for any bridge loans required during slower periods? Read more
Post Date: May 10, 2012
Moms-in-Law: “Gender Differences at Work: Successfully Walking the Tightrope”
Has a boss ever criticized you for doing what he frequently does himself? Has a man been credited in a meeting for suggesting a solution you posited just a few minutes before? Does it seem odd that Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was disparaged as too “bossy”? These are the effects of the cultural conflict between the expectations of women and the expectations of leaders. In the words of Deborah Tannen, Georgetown University professor, researcher and best-selling author, “Standards of behavior applied to women are based on roles that do not include being boss.”
Debra will discuss tips and examples on how to walk the tightrope of conducting yourself as a competent business person, lawyer and leader, without clashing disastrously with the expectations of your gender in our culture. She’ll point out how the social mores and linguistic patterns you learned as a girl can hold you back as an adult professional… and what to do about it.
Where: Farrago World Cuisine 318 Gray Street Houston, TX 77002)
When: 5/2/12 at 12:00pm
Cost: $20.00
RSVP: momsinlawgroup@gmail.com
For more info please visit: http://www.facebook.com/
Post Date: May 1, 2012
Is Your Law Practice Evolving or Devolving?
Most lawyers evolve as they develop experience. They learn from mistakes and from observing other lawyers. Although every lawyer is different, most go through some of the same predictable stages.
Conscious Incompetence
You’ve just graduated from law school and passed the bar. Whether it’s your first client or your first assignment from a partner, your excitement is mixed with anxiety. You’ve never done this before. You don’t really know what you are doing. You’re scared that someone will find out.
Unconscious Incompetence
You have some experience under your belt. You feel like you know what you’re doing. In fact, in some circumstances you actually do know what you’re doing, but you don’t know what you don’t know.
As a young lawyer negotiating agreements, I carefully examined every aspect of the proposed contract. I was trained in a prestigious firm that expected perfection from its lawyers. I sought to achieve a pristine document that gave my client maximal protection from every conceivable mishap.
I was quick-thinking and articulate. I had good reasons why my client should prevail on every point. I approached the negotiations with what I regarded as healthy suspicion. Sometimes negotiations dragged on and tension developed. I gained most of the concessions I sought. However, they came at a price that I wasn’t really aware of. Read more
Post Date: April 12, 2012
Is Your Listening Tuned to the Right Station?
“There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for.”
—James Nathan Miller, Author
Many people think effective communication is simply choosing the right words to say. I submit, however, that poor listening skills create the biggest barrier to good communication.
Effective communicators listen attentively, but even attentive listeners can go astray. If a radio is not finely tuned to the right station, the reception gets garbled. Similarly, to fully understand a speaker’s message, a listener must properly tune in to the purpose of the speaking.
By way of illustration, most of us have whined about a frustrating problem at some point. We often know what to do about our problem, but we want to complain first in the hope of garnering some sympathy. Our frustration increases when listeners respond with suggested solutions to the problem. That wasn’t the kind of listening we wanted.
Many listeners miscue about the appropriate kind of listening required because most of us have a preferred approach that we use until we understand that something else is needed. We need to switch listening approaches to fit various situations.
Research has identified the following five common approaches to listening. By understanding the purpose of different approaches, you can learn to adapt your preferred style to the type most appropriate for particular circumstances. Read more
Post Date: January 26, 2012