Navigating the Maze of Attorney Advertising Rules Be aware of these three myths about advertising et
As most readers know, the practice of law is governed state by state, with rules coming from the states’ highest courts. Among the full range of a lawyer’s activities, these rules of professional conduct, commonly known as the ethics rules, govern a lawyer’s business-getting endeavors: advertisements, solicitations and other marketing activities. Unfortunately, some myths about compliance with these rules surface with some frequency and tend to mislead lawyers about their res
Rewarding Your Referral Sources
Most of the lawyers I know rely on referral sources for new business, at least to a certain extent. Depending on your practice, the relationships you develop with potential referral sources may be more important than knowing prospective clients. For example, estate planning lawyers rely on insurance brokers and private bankers to meet wealthy people. Attorneys serving middle-market companies are introduced to business owners by accountants. Bankruptcy and white-collar crimina
Five Tips for Facing Non Performing Partners
Few law firms proactively deal with the issue of non-performing partners. With more than 83 percent of firms admitting, in a 2018 Altman Weil survey, that they had chronically underperforming partners owing to weak business development skills, it seems the solution would be additional training and support. And, since I am a business development coach, you would think that would be my big idea. I wish it were that simple! But, in firm after firm, I see non-productive partners
Spring Cleaning Tips
Inspired by the beautiful weather beginning to grace many of us, here are few things to add to your practice’s spring cleaning list. 1. Check Up on Your Technology Spend This is a great time to take stock of where you are spending your precious dollars on technology. This goes for personal and business expenses. In today’s world of subscription technology services, it is easy to forget that you signed up for a plan with an app that turned out not to work so well for you, or o
Professional Burnout
The Risks of Chronic Stress and Professional Burnout Lawyers are especially susceptible to professional burnout. Everyone complains about being “burned out” at some time in their work life. But professional burnout goes beyond simply being overtired and needing time off. While not strictly a medical condition, professional burnout is a serious and tangible issue that can make you physically ill. Unless it’s dealt with aggressively — through therapy, clinical work and lifestyl
Jerk Behavior - Don't write about your clients online.
The other day I was scrolling through Facebook when a post caught my eye: A law firm shared, on its Facebook page, that it just submitted a trademark application on behalf of a client — and included a screenshot from the USPTO website with the client’s name on it. Now, trademark applications are public information, so there’s no ethics issue with confidentiality here. But it was a complete turnoff for me on a couple of levels: Just because the information is public doesn’t me
How Marathon Running Makes Me a Better Lawyer
No one would dispute that it takes a focused mind, critical analytical skills and a lot of hard work to be a successful lawyer. I like to think that at least some of these attributes have contributed to helping me build a robust legal practice as an intellectual property and emerging technology attorney, and earn the respect of clients, colleagues and technology industry leaders. What may not be obvious is how my dedication to marathon running has helped me to become a better
Creative Price Negotiation
Most lawyers struggle with negotiating price with prospects and clients. Part of this is the product of lawyers’ personalities, which is generally conflict-averse. Often, lawyers fear that inartful price discussions could cause them to overplay their hand and lose the business. However, the biggest negotiation roadblock comes from having a singular focus on money. The Role of Money Money is a factor, but it’s rarely the defining one in any consideration. Surveys consistently
What to Write When Inspiration Goes on Strike
There are times when inspiration strikes (I’ve found that taking a walk or washing dishes helps), and then there are times when inspiration goes on strike. So where do you go to get good writing ideas? Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing. What’s in the News? In the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, we are poised for Airbnb, Slack, Pinterest, Lyft and Uber to go public, and mint a fresh crop of hundreds if not thousands of millionaires, with a few billio
Educating Clients about the Danger of Social Media Activity
Whether your clients are individuals or corporations, few legal risks are as overlooked as social media activity. Here are some of the biggest dangers your clients need to know about. Risk 1: Your Clients Can Easily Compromise Their Case Legal investigators and activist attorneys routinely search social media for information about their clients, legal adversaries, witnesses and others, which may reveal undisclosed information or evidence of false testimony. In cases where a d
