Sept EICThe 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, where cutting partner profits into equal segments is no longer an acceptable option. “Do We Need to Slice the Pie Differently?” encourages law firms to consider their own histories and cultures, along with several “big picture” criteria that Coupland sets out, to create a new system that will be acceptable to partners.

In “Business Development: Strategic Client Relationship Management,” Shirley Anne Fortina reminds readers that client relationships are crucial to the success of law firms, and suggests ways in which those relationships can be improved and nurtured in order to increase a firm’s profitability – while also providing more comprehensive service to its clients.

In the final article, “Trade Associations, Conferences, and Events: Creating Warmth and ‘Reach’ Out of Thin Air,” Mike White offers a range of reasons why attending special-interest group meetings can expand a lawyer’s client base, and he sets out guidelines for turning contacts into clients with follow-up phone calls and one-on-one meetings.

Each month, EIC publishes items of interest to lawyers around the world on various aspects of law-firm strategy, marketing, technology, management, economics, human relations and a host of other topics. In addition to the most recent edition, the Edge International site includes a sign-up page for those who are interested in subscribing to EIC, as well as a list of archived articles.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback on both Edge International Communique and Amazing Firms, Amazing Practices, either in the comments section below, or directly via email.