News

Date : 06-20-2006

Law firms escalating business development expenditure

The 2006 Law Firm Business Development Practices Survey, conducted by ALM Research, reflected that law firms are continuously augmenting their business development investments. Based on responses from management personnel and business development professionals' from 157 of the largest law firms in the country and internationally, the survey examined business development and sales structures, programs and spending in these firms.

According to survey results, more than one third of the firms had business development budgets of greater than $1 million; from 2004 to 2005, on an average, 50 percent of the firms increased these budgets by 6.6 percent; and 66 percent reported adding of business development staff in the preceding year. ALM Research conducted the survey in partnership with The Brand Research Company.

Wagenfeld Levine names Business Development VP

Tedd Thomas has joined Wagenfeld Levine as the Executive Vice President of Business Development, at its Tampa office in Florida. His role will involve handling client relations for the insurance defense firm's premier client accounts. With specialization in the areas of risk management and sales, Thomas was previously working with Tech Health as Executive Vice President of sales.

A nation-wide insurance defense practice, Wagenfeld Levine serves senior management of Fortune 1000 clients. It represents self-insured and retention clients from a range of industries-pioneering the tactics of vigorous defense with proprietary technology.

McKenna shakes hands with Hands On Network to increase volunteerism

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP has partnered with Hands On Network, a not-for-profit network of volunteer organizations, to focus on raising the level of volunteerism across the U.S.

Together the two will create a council that will work towards escalating the number of volunteers nationwide, and training 100,000 volunteer leaders. McKenna will provide pro bono legal services to the network as well. Leaders of Fortune 500 companies such as Turner Broadcasting, SAP Americas, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Coca Cola Company, Albertsons, and Accenture have also pledged to participate.

Hands On Network has about half a million volunteers culled from 58 member organizations and up to 50,000 projects a year.

Diversity, the new success mantra for law firms

Law firms are now aiming for a diverse staff that helps them in keeping pace with competing global law firms. Intending to make diversity a part of its strategic plan, Quarles & Brady Streich Lang has recently added Nancy Philippi as Director of Diversity and Community Outreach; she will focus on recruiting a diverse law firm staff, and also retain minority and women staff.

Greenberg Traurig of Miami has the most Hispanic attorneys with its Chief Executive, Cesar Alvarez, being a Latino. Perkins Coie Brown & Bain provides aid to minority and nontraditional students, and helps them prepare for their first year at the law school at University of Arizona. Along with diversity, these firms also offer flexible work schedules, extended leave, and other leeway for parents and lawyers with families.

Pillsbury COO joins Finnegan Henderson

Steven Moore, who had joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as Chief Operating Officer in January, has decided to leave the firm and join Washington D.C. based Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner. Citing family and personal reasons for the change, Moore will now work as Executive Director in the 300 lawyer firm.

He joined Shaw Pittman in 2002 as chief operating officer, and with the firm's 2005 merger with Pillsbury Winthrop, became the chief administrative officer. In January 2006 after the departure of Michael Sikora he was once again named COO.

With a strength of 900 lawyers, Pillsbury Winthrop has offices in 16 locations, and concentrates on corporate and technology law. Finnegan Henderson is a major intellectual property law firm, with its lawyers focusing their practice on patents, trademarks, and copyright.


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