Structural Issues in Law Firm Management

• January 19 Welcome/Program Introduction and José Eduardo Carneiro Queiroz Memorial Lecture
• January 26 Firm Strategies and Business Models
• February 2 Firm Structures and Governance
• February 9 Compensation Systems Part I
• February 16 Compensation Systems Part II
• February 23 People I: Law Firm Leadership
• March 1 People II: Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Talent
• March 8 Law Firm Finances: Pricing and Efficiency
• March 15 2024 Trends in the Marketing of Law
• March 22 Knowledge Management
• April 5 Managing the Client Relationship Part I: Firm Strategies
• April 12 Managing the Client Relationship Part II: The Client Perspective
• April 19 Technology and AI
• April 26 Risk Management and Ethical Issues
• May 3 Law Firm Mergers
• May 9-10 Optional Live Sessions (tentative events)

This schedule is subject to change.

Natalie Alhonte, Director of Strategy, Latin America, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Stephen Allen, Chief Scout, Trampelpfad

Rafique Bachour, Global Managing Partner, Freshfields

Robert C. Bata, Founder & Principal, Warwick Place Legal

Matt Burnstein, Executive Partner, Holland & Knight

Pedro Campos, Vice President, Elevate

Gabriel Yomi Dabiri, Office Managing Partner, Polsinelli

Pedro Whitaker de Souza Dias, Managing Partner, Mattos Filho

Peter M. Ellis, Partner, Reed Smith

Deborah Farone, Founder, Farone Advisors

Palmina M. Fava, Partner, Vinson & Elkins

Joshua A. Fireman, President & Founder, Fireman & Company

Peter Furci, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton

Thais Garcia, Partner, Clifford Chance

Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer, Gunderson Dettmer

Jose Luis Guerra, General Counsel - International Private Bank, JP Morgan

Christopher Escobedo Hart, Partner, Foley Hoag

Verity Jackson-Grant, Head of Pricing, Simmons & Simmons

Colin Jasper, Principal, Positive Pricing

Jamila Jean, Deputy General Counsel, Baker McKenzie

Pablo Jimenez, Partner, Von Wobeser y Sierra

James W. Jones, Principal, Legal Management Resources

Andrew Kassner, Partner and Chair Emeritus, Faegre Drinker

Susan Raridon Lambreth, Co-Founding Principal, LawVision

Benjamin Longlet, Strategic Advisor, Duco

Richard Lorenzo, Regional Managing Partner, Hogan Lovells

Mara-Leticia Ossa Daza, Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Deborah Martin Owens, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Cravath, Swaine & Moore

Zia J. Mody, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Partners

Alexandra Paslawsky, Director of Global Legal Recruiting, Milbank

Sarah Posner, Head of Legal Recruiting, Clifford Chance

Amadeu Ribeiro, Partner, DLA Piper

Nathaniel Robinson, Senior Director of Client Value, Goulston & Storrs

Elizabeth A. Rogers, Partner, Michael Best

Allan Schoenberg, Chief Communications Officer, Vinson & Elkins

Chahira Solh, Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee, Crowell & Moring

Lawrence S. Spiegel, Partner & General Counsel, Skadden

Sheea Sybblis, Associate General Counsel & Practice Group Leader, Genentech

Christopher K. Tahbaz, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton

Sophia D. Tawil, General Counsel, Cravath, Swaine & Moore

Constanza Vergara Jaakola, Partner, Pérez-Llorca

• Toni Jaeger-Fine Senior Counselor, Fordham Law School
• Pablo Sorj Partner, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Avogados

CLE credit was approved for the 2024 program in accordance with the requirements of the New York State and New Jersey State CLE Boards for a maximum of 13 credits. New York credits are nontransitional (experienced) in the following areas (subject to change): 10.0 Professional Practice, 1.0 Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection General, 1.0 Law Practice Management, and 1.0 Ethics credits for New York; and 12.0 Professional Practice and 1.0 Ethics credits for New Jersey. Attendees seeking credit in another state must apply to their states' CLE Board for credit.

José Eduardo Carneiro Queiroz Memorial Lecture from Pedro Whitaker de Souza Dias, Managing Partner, Mattos Filho

This panel will cover how to define a firm's purpose, and what it stands for in a greater context. In addition, speakers will discuss how to compare global firms vs. national firms with a global reach.

Featuring:

Peter Furci, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton

Andrew Kassner, Partner and Chair Emeritus, Faegre Drinker

Palmina M. Fava, Partner, Vinson & Elkins

Rafique Bachour, Global Managing Partner, Freshfields

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This two part series will cover the lockstep model and its variations, models that reward individual performance, and the pros and cons of different compensation models.

Featuring:

James W. Jones, Principal, Legal Management Resources

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This two part series will cover the lockstep model and its variations, models that reward individual performance, and the pros and cons of different models.

Featuring:

James W. Jones, Principal, Legal Management Resources

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will cover centralized vs. decentralized governance in law firms, key officers, key committees, and elections and voting rights among firms.

Featuring:

Thais Garcia, Partner, Clifford Chance

Susan Raridon Lambreth, Co-Founding Principal, LawVision

Andrew Kassner, Partner and Chair Emeritus, Faegre Drinker

CLE Credit: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will cover the role of leadership at law firms, and the role a partner plays within the greater context and goals of a firm.

Featuring: 

Richard Lorenzo, Regional Managing Partner, Hogan Lovells

Gabriel Yomi Dabiri, Office Managing Partner, Polsinelli

Zia J. Mody, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Partners

Chahira Solh, Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee, Crowell & Moring

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will cover recruiting practices at law firms, with a special focus on diversity and inclusion. The panel will also include tips on providing effective training for a diverse population, as well as talent retention.

Featuring: 

Constanza Vergara Jaakola, Partner, Pérez-Llorca

Sarah Posner, Head of Legal Recruiting, Clifford Chance

Deborah Martin Owens, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Cravath, Swaine & Moore

Alexandra Paslawsky, Director of Global Legal Recruiting, Milbank

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will discuss how billing/pricing policies and strategies work, including non-billable hour methods. Metrics such as profit per partner will also be covered.

Featuring: 

Pedro Campos, Vice President, Elevate

Colin Jasper, Principal, Positive Pricing

Verity Jackson-Grant, Head of Pricing, Simmons & Simmons

Nathaniel Robinson, Senior Director of Client Value, Goulston & Storrs

CLE: 1.0 law practice management credits for NY; 1.0 professional practice credits for NJ

This panel will cover the importance of a firm's history and purpose for branding, the role that social media plays in today's world, strategies for effective communication with clients, and tips on developing new business.

Featuring:

Deborah Farone, Founder, Farone Advisors

Natalie Alhonte, Director of Strategy, Latin America, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Allan Schoenberg, Chief Communications Officer, Vinson & Elkins

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This session will explore the importance of and key components to legal knowledge management. Panelists will analyze tools professionals can use to assist with knowledge management and barriers they may experience. The discussion will also include how to develop a knowledge management plan and metrics to measure success.

Featuring:

Amadeu Ribeiro, Partner, Mattos Filho

Stephen Allen, Chief Scout, Trampelpfad

Joshua A. Fireman, President & Founder, Fireman & Company

This panel will cover client groups and other strategies law firms implement, as well as client service and their experience.

Featuring:

Pablo Jimenez, Partner, Von Wobeser y Sierra

Mara-Leticia Ossa Daza, Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Peter M. Ellis, Partner, Reed Smith

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will discuss what is most important when it comes to client service, how to excel at it, and pitfalls to avoid.

Featuring:

Benjamin Longlet, Strategic Advisor, Duco

Jose Luis Guerra, General Counsel - International Private Bank, JP Morgan

Sheea Sybblis, Associate General Counsel & Practice Group Leader, Genentech

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will try to answer the question of how AI will more broadly impact how lawyers work, and how firms can avoid some of the pitfalls presented by generative AI.

Featuring:

Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer, Gunderson Dettmer

Elizabeth A. Rogers, Partner, Michael Best

Christopher Escobedo Hart, Partner, Foley Hoag

CLE: 1.0 cybersecurity, privacy & data protection general credits for NY, 1.0 professional practice credits for NJ

This panel will cover best practices for managing law firm's risks, evaluating a firm's risk tolerance, aligning risk around a mission, and communicating policies around risk assessment. Featuring: 

Christopher K. Tahbaz, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton

Jamila Jean, Deputy General Counsel, Baker McKenzie

Lawrence S. Spiegel, Partner & General Counsel, Skadden

Sophia D. Tawil, General Counsel, Cravath, Swaine & Moore

CLE: 1.0 ethics credits for both NY & NJ

This panel will strive to identify all considerations when going through mergers - including, but not limited to, strategic, financial, leadership, staffing, and cultural considerations. Panelists will touch on their own experiences in handling and transitioning through firm mergers.

Featuring:

Robert C. Bata, Founder & Principal, Warwick Place Legal

Matt Burnstein, Executive Partner, Holland & Knight

Andrew Kassner, Partner and Chair Emeritus, Faegre Drinker

CLE: 1.0 professional practice credits for both NY & NJ

May 9: Optional Event TBD

May 10: Optional Closing Keynote Speaker and Colloquium at Fordham Law School, Details TBD