Congratulations to Edge International principal Bithika Anand, founder and CEO of Legal League Consulting, for her role in organizing the Leadership Summit and Excellence Awards, 2017, held in Mumbai in early February. The focus of the conference was on the “evolving role of law in empowering and enabling businesses to drive the economy.” Guest speakers explored policy … Continue Reading
The December, 2016 issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) is now posted on the Edge International website. The issue opens with an article by Sam Coupland, “Green Shoots Showing in Australia and New Zealand Legal Markets,” which presents some possible reasons for the recent uptick in profitability in legal markets in those countries, and projects what lies ahead. In “Talent Retention: A Big … Continue Reading
The November, 2016 issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) is now posted on the Edge International website. This issue of EIC begins with a tribute to John Plank, a long-time Edge International colleague and friend who I consider to have been one of the finest speaking and presentation coaches in the world. John passed away in October, and he will be deeply missed. Neil … Continue Reading
It is with great sadness that I must report that John Stewart Plank, our colleague and friend at Edge International, passed away on October 19, 2016 after a valiant fight against illness. John was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and during the 1970s and 1980s he worked as a director of Shakespearean theatre in Stratford and … Continue Reading
In an eloquent article posted recently on At the Intersection, my former Edge colleagues Pam Woldow and Doug Richardson remember Edge member Ed Wesemann and Ward Bower, their former colleague at Altman Weil. They begin their post with the words, “The legal landscape is a sadder and emptier place today, following the recent deaths of two giants in … Continue Reading
The October, 2016 issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) is now posted on the Edge International website. This most recent issue of EIC leads off with an article by Nick Jarrett-Kerr entitled “Prioritising Initiatives – Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins,” in which Nick identifies seven issues he has observed in his many years of work with law firms that often impede … Continue Reading
The September, 2016 issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) was posted recently on the Edge International website. The issue begins with our group’s tribute to our late partner Ed Wesemann, which I republished in the previous instalment of this blog. In addition, in the September EIC Sam Coupland presents issues relating to the introduction of new compensation systems in law firms, … Continue Reading
Many long-time readers of this blog know of my close friendship, deep respect and profound affection for Edge colleague Ed Wesemann who recently was taken from us after a valiant battle with cancer. The full impact of our loss personally and professionally will be felt for a long, long time. The following article, which appears this … Continue Reading
The August issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) has now been posted on the Edge International website. We start off with a warm welcome to Shirley Anne Fortina, our newest principal, after which the issue features an article Bithika Anand developed particularly for small, niche, family-run law firms in India. In “Acquisitions as an Exit Strategy in Indian Law Firms,” Bithika discusses the advantages to such … Continue Reading
(This article is reprinted from the Edge International website, where it was posted on July 31, 2016) Edge International is very pleased to welcome Shirley Anne Fortina as our newest principal. Based in Perth, Western Australia, Shirley Anne joins our other Australasian principals – Sean Larkan, Neil Oakes and Sam Coupland – to further extend … Continue Reading
The July issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) has now been posted on the Edge International website. Sean Larkan leads off this issue with “Building Trust: The Inviolable Rule.” He reminds us that “we sometimes forget how much of successful legal services business is still about human relationships and building trust.” He explores the notion of trust as it applies to the legal profession, … Continue Reading
I am pleased to point out that the June issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC) has now been posted on the Edge International website. My colleague John Plank leads off the issue with “Charisma: The Quintessential Learning Skill,” in which he explains that while most of us know that charisma is an essential attribute of great leaders, not all of us are aware … Continue Reading
Our congratulations to Lisa Kirby, JD, who was a consultant with Edge International from 2012-2016, on her appointment as Director, Research and Sharing at Diversity Lab. Diversity Lab is a think tank and ideas-facilitation organization that “creates and invests in innovative talent and diversity initiatives to help organizations find and keep the best talent.” Three of its recent initiatives are “WomenLegalExperts.com” and the … Continue Reading
I am pleased to draw your attention to the May issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC), recently published on the Edge International website. The issue leads off with a welcome to the newest principals at Edge International, Sam Coupland and Neil Oakes, both of whom are also directors at FMRC, Australasia’s leading professional development consultancy. Their expertise combined with that of existing principal Sean Larkan … Continue Reading
I am very pleased to welcome two new principals to Edge International: Sam Coupland and Dr. Neil Oakes of FMRC, Australasia’s leading professional development consultancy. Sam Coupland has worked exclusively with the legal profession for 15 years, assisting firms in strategy development, practice planning, equity valuations and equity transfers. Sam is also a frequent presenter on practice-management-related topics, delivering dynamic presentations through FMRC programs and professional conferences in the … Continue Reading
I am pleased to draw the attention of readers of this blog to the most recent issue of Edge International Communiqué (EIC). The issue features articles on topics that range from firm culture, through the supervision of associates, to a checklist for firms that are involved with mergers and acquisitions. Included are: An article by Jordan Furlong entitled “The … Continue Reading
