Boutique Law Firms

Regardless of whether you are a litigator, a transactional attorney, in-house counsel, or something else, you need to be creative.

Recently, I was fortunate to have had a chance to conduct a written interview with a prominent IP attorney, David L. Hecht, co-head of the IP Group and New York office of Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP (“Pierce Bainbridge”). I have known David for a few years, having first met him while he […]

* That was quick! House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she’d wait until the Mueller report came out to talk about the possibility of impeaching the president, but one of her colleagues is planning to re-introduce articles of impeachment against Trump on the first day of the new Congress. [CNN]

* The Senate Judiciary Committee has set a confirmation hearing for William Barr, the nominee for U.S. attorney general, on January 15, and he’ll get the “same fair and thorough vetting process” as all of his predecessors. Yeaahh… [National Law Journal]

* The DOJ won’t ask SCOTUS to block the appointment of a special prosecutor in former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s quest to delete his pre-pardon guilty verdict on contempt charges — but that doesn’t mean his own lawyers will back down. [POLITICO]

* Connie Brenton, founder of the three-year-old Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), is resigning from the organization, citing the board’s desire to move in “different directions.” Hope this doesn’t put a damper on CLOC’s upcoming conference! [Corporate Counsel]

* Guess which boutique firm is “building an army of killers,” and plans to “take over Boston in short order”? That would be Pierce Bainbridge, the self-proclaimed “fastest-growing law firm” in America. That’s a bit scary, but congrats! [American Lawyer]

* Jane Shay Wald, 72, is a partner emeritus at Irell & Manella who leads the firm’s trademark practice, and unlike our columnist Jill Switzer, she refuses to be referred to as a dinosaur: “I am senior, hear me roar. I’m no f***ing dinosaur.” [AGEIST]

Be like Muhammad Ali and people will never forget that you are the 'greatest' in your niche as an attorney.

This lawyer can Milly Rock on any block.

Bonuses start at $110,000.

Impressive bonuses!

Associates must be excited that their yearly billing quotas aren't going up with this raise.

This firm was offering associates much more money this time last year...

Which firm is offering its associates bountiful bonuses?

This firm is ready to play.

Lawyers need to find opportunities to make choices and to make judgment calls. Practice often so you can become a great lawyer.

There is certainly nothing scarier than worrying about how to be a successful rainmaker, so here's some advice.

There is certainly nothing scarier than worrying about how to be a successful rainmaker, so here's some advice.

* As she steps away from public life in the wake of her dementia diagnosis, rather than banish retired Justice Anthony Kennedy to the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor bequeathed her chambers to him. The Supreme Court will miss her. [National Law Journal]

* Judges say the darndest things: Bill Cosby’s bid to get a new trial and reduce his sentence was summarily turned down by Judge Steven O’Neill, who noted in a simple, one-page ruling that “no hearing or argument is required on the issues.” [NBC News]

* Desmarais, the elite IP litigation boutique that recently raised salaries for first-year associates to $210,000, will be making its “first and probably [] last expansion,” opening a West Coast office in San Francisco to serve its Bay Area clients. [Law360]

* In case you missed it, the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners awarded Thomas Jefferson School of Law with state accreditation after an 8-7 vote, with one committee member abstaining. Now its graduates will be able to sit for the California bar exam even if the ABA revokes its accreditation. [ABA Journal]

* If you’ve been wondering what killed the Middle Tennessee State University / Valparaiso Law School deal, one member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission says it had to do with “genuine concern about the labor supply and demand for lawyers” — and that seems entirely reasonable. [Murfreesboro Post]

A few reasons why your cover letter needs to make a good impression.

The new combined firm will be an IP powerhouse.

Repetition is the key to a successful marketing campaign.

Look who's growing.

Managing summer associates can be tricky, but you need to give them the best direction you can.