Articles

Making Rain: I’m pretty sure my clients love me

Most small to mid-sized companies use on average three to five law firms. Larger companies use even more. So, each and every day you are being compared to your competitors. Knowing how you compare to them in terms of your service and client satisfaction is good to know. You can get this information in a variety of ways and use it to bring in even more business from the client.

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Small firms rise to top of ISBA leadership

Jeff Hawkins is like most Indiana lawyers – he works in a small practice. Hawkins, incoming president of the Indiana State Bar Association, will be the first of three consecutive leaders hailing from solo or small law firms.

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suits

The traditional suit still rules when in court

The decision by one Indiana attorney to not wear socks in the courtroom has sparked a discussion among lawyers about professional dress codes. Shined shoes, closed-toe pumps, crisp shirts and blouses, pants, skirts and jackets are the closet staples of lawyers. While the business world has gone casual, pitching the tie and welcoming sandals in some cases, the legal profession has largely remained true to conservative business attire.

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Thomas: When drafting a will, be as specific as possible

To ensure that your client’s property will go to the beneficiaries of his or her choosing, as opposed to the beneficiaries that the state chooses, it is imperative that the last will and testament be very specific and provide for as many contingencies as possible.

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Making Rain: When a room full of strangers freaks you out

As most good rainmakers know, it is all about networking, and sometimes this means talking to people who are total strangers. It can be daunting to attend an event that your firm is sponsoring or a conference that your target market attends and be expected to “go out there and make new friends.”

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smartphone

Companies need to draft ‘bring your own device’ policies

While the convenience of handheld, portable computers enables employees to peruse email, communicate with clients and review documents without being tied to the office, the “bring your own device,” or BYOD, trend is creating tensions between how much access an employer can have to the worker-owned device and how much privacy an employee can expect.

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Federal judge, managing partner keep jazz on the radio in northwest Indiana

Each week longtime friends Bill Satterlee, managing partner at Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP in Valparaiso, and Kent Lindquist, senior judge for the Bankruptcy Court in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, share their mutual love of jazz by recording a two-hour show that airs Sunday nights on the local public radio station.

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