Top 10 recipients of associates’ seal of approval:

1.    Ropes & Gray
2.    Williams & Connolly
3.    Morrison & Foerster       
4.    Fitzpatrick
5.    Shook, Hardy & Bacon
6.    Hughes Hubbard & Reed          
7.    Jones Day
8.    Davis Polk
9.    Paul, Weiss
10.  Skadden, Arps

View the entire 2011 Vault Law Firm Quality of Life Rankings.

This clever animation may reinforce Dan Pink’s message from his new book Drive. 

Compensation has been the tool of choice in law firms to reward good performance, punish the absence of it and drive change.

You will not want to believe what you are about to hear and see…  ask yourself why?

If you are

We are very proud of our latest Edge International Review.    For a complete downloadable version (or just the articles you want) click on the cover or go to EdgeInternationalReview.com

If you have any questions , comments or suggestions, please shoot me a note.

(You can also check out our Edge International web site at

I believe in capitalism and free enterprise.  I have a business degree before law.  My practicing years were spent helping clients increase their profits… managing partner years helping my partners increase theirs.  You’ll get no socialistic psychobabble from me.

I encourage you to assimilate the compelling evidence that increasing compensation in the hope of enhancing

PUNCHLINE:  (yes, I’ll start with it) Managing Partners: I don’t think you should downsize now unless you absolutely have to.  It’s a rough world out there – you should have cut the underperformers a long time ago.  BUT, if you HAVE TO, if you MUST, then learn from one of the most successful and business savvy people out there, Guy Kawasaki – read 

Law Professor William D. Henderson (click on photo for bio)

Managing Partners and law firm H.R. Executives should contemplate the meaning of Indiana University School of Law’s Prof. Bill Henderson’s post: "How the ‘Cravath System’ Created the Bi-Modal Distribution."

Professor Henderson builds on the work of NALP (The National Association for Law