Teamwork and Collaboration
The Practice
September/October 2015
The growing complexity of legal work—work that is increasingly cross-practice and multijurisdictional in nature—requires lawyers to collaborate across expertise and organizational boundaries.
September/October 2015
Collaboration in Law Firms
Increased specialization and a growing complexity in client issues create a demand for lawyers who are not only technical experts in their own particular domain but also lawyers who can collaborate with others throughout the firm, and often around the world, to solve multifaceted problems. The conundrum is, however, that most firms have lawyers trained as subject-matter specialists. Law firms and lawyers have to collaborate across boundaries.
Lessons from Practicing Lawyers
Practicing law—the art of finding solutions for your clients—requires collaborating with others. It requires bringing together individuals with different expertise to produce a successful result for the client. The willingness of attorneys in any firm to share their expertise and their work with others contributes to the overall health of the firm, as well as the individual lawyers themselves.
Microsoft Launches New Legal Tool; The Cravath System Run Amok?
Even policies thought to create a more collaborative and collegial workplace, such as the implementation of a workplace messaging system that encourages casual, friendly interactions among co-workers, often have the perverse incentive of keeping employees on their computers at all hours, lest they be seen as less committed than their colleagues.
Maintaining a Culture of Collaboration
In the case study “Collaborating for Growth: Duane Morris in a Turbulent Legal Sector,” Heidi Gardner and Annelena Lobb examine whether the collaborative culture and structures developed by the law firm Duane Morris can survive in the midst of a unstable world economy and an increasingly cutthroat and bottom line–driven legal profession.
Perspectives from a General Counsel
In a recent interview with The Practice, Jennifer Daniels, chief legal officer and secretary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company, discussed her views on the importance of teamwork and collaboration in the legal profession.
Perspectives from a Managing Partner
In a recent interview with The Practice, Cesar L. Alvarez, a co-chairman of Greenberg Traurig, discussed his views on teamwork and collaboration within law firms. Alvarez previously served as Greenberg’s executive chairman for more than three years and as its chief executive officer for 13 years. During his tenure as CEO, he directed the firm’s growth from 325 lawyers in eight offices to approximately 1,850 attorneys and government professionals.