Law firm mergers ‘white hot’ in 2017, hit record of 102
After a bit of a slowdown in 2016, the pace of mergers and acquisitions among U.S. law firms accelerated again in 2017 to a record 102, according to Altman Weil MergerLine.
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Law firm outlook for 2018 focuses on strengths, retaining talent
Major Lindsey & Africa, a recruitment and consulting firm for the legal industry, has released its 2018 Industry Outlook report outlining what law firms can expect in the new year. In short, law firms will remain under increasing pressure to keep costs low and productivity high, so firms are expected to focus on core strengths and retaining key personnel.
Report: Attorneys lose 6 hours daily to non-billable work
A recent analysis of how attorneys spend their workdays showed that only 2.3 hours are devoted to billable tasks. The rest of the time is spent on administrative or business development work, according to Clio’s 2017 Legal Trends Report.
Departing Pence Hensel partners become highly prized lateral hires
The friendship attorneys Linda Pence and David Hensel started in 1990 continues, but the high-profile criminal-defense firm they began in 2010 has closed, sending the founding partners to growing firms in Indianapolis where they will each start practice groups for white-collar crime.
Wagner Reese looks to the future
During a grand opening Nov. 9 celebrating the new Wagner Reese headquarters building at 11939 N. Meridian St., Carmel, it wasn’t hard to see how far the law firm had come in a relatively short time.
ABA president launches initiative to study why women leave law
Women, particularly those in their 40s and 50s, leave the legal profession at a much higher rate than their male counterparts. ABA President Hilarie Bass has launched an initiative to explore the reasons and improve prospects for long-term careers for women in the law.
Indianapolis sues drug companies for opioid crisis
The city of Indianapolis is making good on its promise to sue some of the country’s largest opioid manufacturers and distributors and is seeking compensation for their role in the worsening opioid crisis that is “ravaging” the city.
Can we talk? Chat boxes give potential clients 24/7 access
More and more, chat boxes are popping up on law firm websites. The services can lead to client connections or may simply help clients and attorneys find out what their best options may be.
Survey: 41 percent of lawyers to boost cybersecurity budgets
Four in 10 lawyers plan to boost spending on cybersecurity next year, with average budget increases of 13 percent, according to a study released Thursday by a national legal consulting and staffing firm.
Diversifying the pipeline for law firm leadership
A new initiative known as the “Mansfield Rule” uses a data-driven approach to ensure participating firms actively consider women and minorities for open positions when making hiring decisions, including making selections for promotions, lateral hires and law firm governance positions.
Bamberger merger is Indiana’s first in 2017
In the first merger involving an Indiana firm in 2017, Evansville-based Bamberger Foreman Oswald & Hahn LLP will provide a stronger foothold in the Hoosier state to a Kentucky regional law practice and, in return, will gain a deeper bench of expertise to serve its clients.
Evansville’s Bamberger to merge with Kentucky-based firm
The two law firms will join forces Sept. 1 and have a total of 144 attorneys with offices in Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort, Kentucky, as well as Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Hall Render health care attorneys jump to smaller Katz & Korin
Fifteen employees, including seven attorneys, are leaving the city’s fifth largest law firm—Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman—to join a much smaller firm bent on growing its health care and litigation business.
Indiana to pay firm $100k to handle Pence email requests
Indiana is paying a law firm $100,000 to help deal with a backlog of public records requests, most of which seek emails from Vice President Mike Pence's tenure as governor, including correspondence routed through a private AOL.com account he used to conduct state business.
Lifelong golfer, lawyer co-chairs pro tournament at Crooked Stick
Few people would be as qualified as a Lebanon-based litigation attorney, who is also an Indiana Golf Hall of Fame member and Crooked Stick Golf Club member, to co-chair the 2016 BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel Sept. 6-11.
‘Small-town’ Shelbyville firm expanding around the state
As merger fever continues to spread through the legal community, a Shelbyville-based firm is spreading out.
Goshen attorney John Ulmer recognized for 50-plus year career
When the conflict arose between classes and basketball, John Ulmer, like just about any Hoosier would, picked roundball and, inadvertently, took his first steps toward a legal career that has since lasted more than 50 years.
Lawyer loses fee appeal against defunct Stewart & Irwin
A lawyer who claimed his former law firm and its shareholders wrongly withheld fees he was contractually owed lost his appeal of a judgment in the firm's favor Thursday.
MDL panel picks California for Anthem lawsuits
Indianapolis law firms that filed suit against the insurance giant after massive cyberbreach are surprised cases won’t be tried in Indiana
Thomas Hays will lead DTCI as it embarks on new long-range plan
For nearly 37 years, Hays, a partner at Lewis Wagner LLP, has continued to enter courtrooms, building a solid reputation as a personal injury defense attorney. Now Hays is preparing to take on a new challenge. He is the incoming president of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana and will take office in January just as the organization is beginning to implement a new long-range plan.