Leadership / White Papers
A great Leadership Conference. The MPIEs always excel.
I look forward to this Conference every year. It really helps me to be a more effective firm leader.
A very organized and well-run conference. Great food. Great hospitality.
Thank you for allowing me to participate. Your team is masterful at making all feel valued at your event and I dare say helping attendees see the value in attending.
Thank you for the invite to speak on the Managing Partner panel. Even though I have now attended 7 MPFs, I always bring back substantive and helpful information for my partners.
Hands down the best leadership conference for managing partners I've ever attended.
I highly recommend the MPF Leadership Conference. I've participated many times, as have several of my partners. We leave with new ideas and fresh perspectives every time.
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Thank you for what you do for our industry. I go to a lot of conferences, and your event is the one I look forward to and gain the most from each year.
Thank you for putting on another outstanding MPF Conference. I came away, once again, feeling reassured and encouraged.
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AttachmentOnce again, Patrick has been kind enough to share with us a collection of articles he distributes twice a year in a publication he calls International Review. Patrick consults mostly with AmLaw 200 firms and his thoughts and perspectives are equally helpful to leaders of smaller and mid-size firms, too. Over the years, he has served on the MPF Faculty. The six articles in this issue are:
- Two Types of Legal Innovation: Type 0 (Substantive Law) and Type 1 (Service Delivery)
- 32 Strategic Innovation Questions: Basic Building Blocks to Prompt Innovative Action
- When Your Strategic Plan Needs to Get Implemented
- A Lucrative Micro-Niche: Digital Transformation Practice
- A Lucrative Micro-Niche: Esports Practice
- Leading Requires Understanding Different Working Styles
This is good stuff, and we encourage you to check it out.
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In our work with smaller and mid-size firms, we find that most have challenges achieving diversity and inclusion. And they are not alone as even the largest US law firms face similar challenges.
Since the mid-1980s, the majority of law school graduates have been women, yet only 20% of equity partners at AmLaw 200 are women. As they move up the ranks, many opt to take the non-equity partner track, others move to in-house positions and others choose to start families and leave the profession altogether. This report looks at the career paths of women attorneys in the largest US law firms.On the bright side, the report finds that women occupy a higher percentage of leadership roles within their firms. Here are few findings:
- Twenty percent (20%) of women in AmLaw 200 firms will become equity partners in the course of their legal careers.
- People of color comprise eight percent (8%) of equity partners, LGBTQ persons stand at two percent (2%) and persons with disabilities comprise just one percent (1%) of law firm owners.
- Women make up twenty-five percent (25%) of leadership roles in their firms, including twenty-two percent (22%) of firm-wide managing partners, twenty percent (20%) of office managing partners, and twenty-two percent (22%) of practice group leaders.
The White Paper also reveals strategies and tactics that firms are using to address the issue.
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Twice a year, Patrick publishes International Review, an electronic magazine that contains four to five thoughtful and inspiring articles for law firm leaders. It’s geared primarily toward BigLaw but highly applicable to smaller and mid-size firms, too. The articles in this issue are:
- Inside the Corridors of Firm Leadership
This article summarizes the results of a recent survey of large law firm leaders about their leadership roles. Interesting, the results are remarkably similar to what our surveys reveal about leadership roles in smaller and mid-size firms. - A Lesson from the Accountants
What can law firm leaders learn from their counterparts at CPA firms? According to this article, there’s plenty! - The Rise of the Micro Niche
For smaller and mid-size firms, we say there are “riches in niches.” How about taking it a step further and creating an even more specialized “micro niche?” - What Firms Need to Do to Prepare for the Future
This article examines long-term trends in the legal market, including the impact of the Big 4 CPA firms, as well as differentiation, client development and compensation issues. - When You Need to Replace a Practice Leader
These are important roles and it’s critically important to appoint committed and effective firm leaders to serve. Pulling the trigger to make a change is not always easy.
We thank Patrick for sharing the current issue of International Review with our readers.
- Inside the Corridors of Firm Leadership
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The role of law firm maning partner is like no other and they teach you little about how to lead lawyers in law school. This report summarizes the results of a 30-question survey in which 86 firm leaders from BigLaw participated. It asks about priorities, job descriptions and time spent in the leadership roles. Its findings are relevant for leaders of smaller and mid-size firms, as well. Here are a few highlights:
- Fifty-six percent (56%) reported that the leadership role was a full-time job.
- Sixty-seven percent (67%) said they have no formal job description.
- Thirty-seven percent (37%) said they were the only candidate for the position.
- Strategic planning, initiating change, and responsibility for firm performance are what firm leaders enjoy most about the leadership role.
- Day-to-day administration, thorny people issues, and inter-office travel is where they spend most of their time.
Regular readers of The MPF Weekly know where we stand on job descriptions and where firm leaders should be spending their time.
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Twice a year, Patrick publishes and distributes a 24-30-page magazine he calls International Review. It typically contains four to five thoughtful and inspiring articles for law firm leaders, designed mostly for BigLaw. For many years, he’s been kind enough to share an electronic version of the magazine with our readers. The articles in this issue are:
- Legal Trends of Predictions for 2018
Excerpts from a meeting of legal firm leaders last December in New York called the International Legal Think-Tank. - How Conventional Strategizing Can Be a Waste of Time
Most firm leaders recognize the importance of a firm-wide strategic plan, yet many firms struggle with successful implementation. Perhaps firms should look at a new way to go about it. - Leadership Transition Misfires
A successful leadership transition occurs with proper planning and the predecessor’s willingness to let go. - Should Your Leadership Build a Brand?
A collaborative article written with Forbes columnist David Parnell suggesting that any firm leader can create a perception of confidence, competence and success. - Evolution of Blockchain and its Impact on Your Clients
Have you heard of the “block-chain” concept? If not, read this article for an interesting overview of how your firm’s clients may be affected.
As always, we thank Patrick for sharing his insightful collection of articles with readers of The MPF Weekly.
- Legal Trends of Predictions for 2018
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Twice a year, Patrick publishes and distributes a collection of articles in a 24-page e-magazine he calls International Review. Although geared primarily toward “BigLaw,” its content is also timely and relevant for smaller and mid-size law firms. In this edition, the most important article for you to read is “Law Firm Strategic Planning: A Report on the State of the Art. Even though 97% of AmLaw 200 firms have strategic plans, Patrick observes that far too many of them suffer from a self-inflicted phenomenon call “SPOTS”…an acronym for “Strategic Planning on the Shelf.” To avoid that situation at your firm, keep your plan simple, realistic and achievable. Importantly, the plan must also involve partner accountability.
Here are his four main points for successful strategic planning:
- Too many firms are focusing attention on internal (not external) issues.
- More firms need to involve clients in their strategic planning process.
- Implementation improves when more partners are involved in the process.
- More rigorous management attention and individual accountability will improve implementation.
At MPF, we believe that every law firm – regardless of size and practice mix – needs a plan.
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Patrick and I see eye-to-eye on many of the issues law firm leaders confront in these challenging times. As always, he delivers a fine set of articles in the current edition of International Review. Here are the topics covered in this 26-page report:
- The Burning Issues Facing Firm Leaders in 2017
- Get Your Clients to do your Talking
- Becoming the Firm of Choice: It’s All about the Implementation
- Leaders Get the Behavior You Tolerate
- The Five Challenging Paradoxes of Firm Leadership
- When a Firm Leader Hangs up the Crown
We encourage you to take a look.
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This hard-hitting and ground-breaking report, which includes an abundance of benchmarking data drawn from two MPF surveys conducted earlier this year, serves as a wake-up call for leaders and owners of smaller and mid-size US law firms. We strongly maintain that to be successful in the future, law firms must be run more like a business and less like loose confederations of sole practitioners. For most firms, this involves change and accountability. And lawyers don’t like either. Leadership and planning are required. Here are some of our report’s major themes:
- Firm owners must accept the fact the profession is undergoing unprecedented change and that your law firm must adapt if it wants to survive and prosper.
- Strategic planning is no longer optional. Firms need a vision for the future and a plan to get where they want to go. “Hope and pray” is not a good strategy in a rapidly changing marketplace.
- Firms must invest in the leadership and business development skills of their young lawyers. They are the future of your firm.
- Importantly, law firms must proactively address issues involving problematic partners. They are affecting the culture and profitability of your firm much more than you realize.
- The time has come for firm leaders to exercise “more leadership” and “less management.”
You need to review this report. You need to share it with your partners. Importantly, your firm must respond to the changing marketplace. Otherwise, you may find yourselves selling buggy whips when the rest of the world has moved beyond them.
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As always, Patrick delivers another set of terrific articles in the current edition of International Review. The magazine runs 24-pages and we thank him for sharing it with us. The articles in this issue are:
- Your Guide to Charting a Strategic Direction for Your Practice Groups
- The Underproductive Lawyer: Addressing Underperformance Issues
- Effective Leaders Are Not Necessarily Nice!
- Solving the “Commitment Drift” Frustration
Each article dispenses practical, straight-forward guidance on how to deal with some vexing issues for many firm leaders.
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Twice a year, Patrick McKenna distributes a collection of articles in a magazine he calls International Review. Each issue includes five or six thoughtful articles – which often focus on leadership transition and succession planning issues – that are spot-on for today’s law firm leader. The current issue is no exception and includes these five articles:
- Bringing Your Strategy Process Back to Life
- Strategies for Overcoming Obstacles to Change
- The Disruption in Transitioning to a New Firm Leader
- Analyzing a Leadership Candidate’s Strengths
- The Distorted View that Some May Offer
We highly recommend that you take a few minutes to review these articles and print out one or two for future reference.
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International Review – Fall 2015
AttachmentTwice a year, MPF Faculty member Patrick McKenna publishes a collection of articles and insights in a magazine he calls International Review. Although directed primarily toward leaders at BigLaw, his articles are timely and relevant for leaders of smaller and mid-size firms, as well. Here are the titles in the current edition:
- Firm Strategy: Understanding Industry Dynamics
- Schedule Time for Strategic Thinking
- The Value in Developing a Leadership Brand
- Announcing: The Changing of the Guard
- McKenna on How New Managing Partners Can Avoid Being “Blindsided”
- How Effective Leaders Delegate
- Why Law Firms Need Non-Executive Directors
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This issue of Internatinal Review, published by Patrick McKenna, runs 24 pages and features five great articles every firm leader should read. They include numerous practical ideas, tips and techniques that will make you a more effective firm leader and that you can put to use immediately. The articles in this issue are:
- Recovering from a Leadership Misstep
- The Leadership Succession Process
- Stimulating Innovation in Your Firm
- Inquiring Leaders Want to Know: Ten Important Questions
- When Job Descriptions Don’t Do the Job
We especially recommend the fourth article and its ten important questions.
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This is one of the better White Papers we’re read in recent years on firm leadership, and we highly recommend that you take a few minutes to check it out, as well. August and his colleagues assert that effective managing partners provide compelling direction, gain commitment among partners, appoint the right leaders to execute strategic objectives, and lead by personal example. It’s good stuff and we agree with most everything it says.
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In November 2010, Patrick McKenna published this six-page report consisting of survey results to a series of questions posed to 92 leaders of law firms with more than 100 lawyers. Its findings are very consistent with data we collect using audience polling technology at our conferences, and as reported in our MPF White Papers. For example, 72% of managing partners do not have formal job descriptions and 87% don’t have a formal leadership succession plan in place, according to Patrick.
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Over 90 managing partners, firm leaders and top consultants to the legal industry participated in The MPF 2010 Annual Conference on April 29th in Atlanta, Georgia. This comprehensive White Paper summarizes the key findings revealed through the use of state-of-the-art Audience Participation Technology. It focuses on how law firms approach strategic planning and the role of the managing partner; including what they do, how much time they spend in the role and how they get paid for all that non-billable effort. This is really good stuff.
