With the merger of Indiana’s Wooden McLaughlin and Dinsmore Shohl leading the more than two dozen law firm combinations that were announced in the first quarter of 2021, the new year is expected to bring a return of robust consolidation activity in the legal market.
There’s an excellent upcoming opportunity to learn more about building a virtual law practice, the consumer-centric law firm and many other topics related to modern law practice management at the IndyBar’s virtual conference The Future of Your Law Firm Is Now, coming up on April 29.
Longtime Indianapolis asbestos litigation lawyer Linda George is accusing her former law partner in court filings of “hostile, abusive, vituperative, ungrateful and selfish conduct” and of stealing the firm’s assets and employees to open a competing law firm.
As the pandemic forced attorneys to work from remote locations, they have seen how well they could do it. They and their spouses have had a glimpse of a different, slower lifestyle, and it has appealed to them. For many, retirement, which was previously just a distant concept, has grown more realistic. At a minimum, a significant number of my lawyer friends have decided to work fewer hours, and they are confident that they are ready to slow down.
Law firms are the very definition of traditional businesses, but in a modern world, traditional business models get expensive. Law firms should be operating offices to house staff, but they tend to fill those offices up with obsolete items like paper files and document/email servers.
After a career practicing in large Indianapolis law firms, intellectual property attorney Amie Peele has broken the “unspoken rule” that partners must retire from big law and instead decided to start her own firm.
While the jury is still out on how increased use of remote technology will impact litigation in the future, business lawyers have seen a decrease in expenses and an increase in efficiency that is likely to benefit clients and productivity.
Claiming she and her law partner can no longer continue working together, Indianapolis attorney Kathleen Farinas is asking the Marion County Commercial Court to dissolve George & Farinas LLP, appoint a receiver and enter damages against Linda George.
Wooden McLaughlin LLP has joined Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in what is being described as one of the largest mergers between two domestic-only law firms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The combination, which was official Jan. 1, was announced by Dinsmore on Monday and brings three Indiana law offices under its umbrella.
Saying it is time to do more than talk, Barnes & Thornburg attorneys and staff are taking an active role in promoting equity by forming a nonprofit and, so far, contributing $200,000 to support charities focused on racial justice in their local communities, including Indianapolis.
Would you consider yourself to be an expert in law practice management? The IndyBar needs your services and expertise! We’re looking for volunteers to serve on the new Law Practice Management Committee.
In a career that has spanned 50 years, Douglas Church not only developed his own private practice but also played an integral role in the blossoming of Hamilton County. He served as attorney for the town of Fishers from 1980 through 2015 and for the city of Noblesville from 1988 through 1996, helping those communities formulate and implement strategies for growth.
After COVID-19, law firms must rethink what the office environment can deliver better than the experience of working remotely. What can the future law firm office do better? How can tomorrow’s law firm office improve connection and interaction, encourage collaboration, and provide modern, convenient services?
Hanging a shingle is always risky. Add a pandemic to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for stress. Most lawyers across Indiana felt the pinch of the COVID-19-induced economic downturn in some fashion. But those who made career moves in the months before the pandemic say the recession has put their business acumen to the test.
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the legal profession has been a mixed bag. In some ways, the law, like many other industries, has suffered. Corporate clients are pulling purse strings tighter, while practice areas such as personal injury have seen a slowdown in cases. But in other ways, the pandemic has been a boon for lawyers.
How do you grow a commercial law practice within a traditional defense firm? That’s the question I posed Rich Blaiklock and Jason Lee of Lewis Wagner, LLP.
It is easy to understand why Meg Christensen’s favorite word these days is “nimble.” The 38-year-old attorney became the managing partner of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum’s Indianapolis office during unprecedented challenges and about six months after the merger with global giant Dentons launched a new law firm business model.
A study released Thursday found millennial partners at law firms are not that different in their attitudes toward work from their other colleagues, but divisions do appear across the generations between genders and racial groups.
As more and more attorneys and law firms work remotely in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of those lawyers don’t have plans for disaster recovery or business continuity, according to a 2019 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report.
It’s become known as the virus. With all of the precautions, shutdowns, quarantines, etc., it would be a wise move to have a contingency plan in place if your work or life becomes affected by the virus. Here are some ideas to consider if you will need to be away from the office for an extended period of time.