Chosen one of the Best Books of 2015 by Good Housekeeping and Redbook**A Harper's Bazaar Must-Read**Film and TV Rights Optioned to Paramount**A 2015 USA Best Book Award Winner*As featured in:Huffington Post Books, Harper's Bazaar Magazine, Bloomberg BNA, Vault, Working Mother Magazine, Chicago Tribune, The New York times, Redbook Magazine, Good Housekeeping Magazine: 20 Best Books by Women in 2015, BuzzFeed: September Reads You Must Find Time For, San Francisco Book Review: Best Books for Sweater Weather, Sheknows.com: Most Anticipated Novels of Fall, Culturalist: Best Book Club Reads, YourTango: Incredible Books Every Smart Woman Should Read this Fall
"As a young partner at Dunn & Sullivan, one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Carney Blake has represented dozens of high-profile clients. But being a pawn of Big Law often means defending the corporate dirt bags of the world--the spillers, the drillers, and the killers. Morality aside, Carney is starting to make a name for himself ... So when Carney is suddenly asked by his firm's chairman to represent the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit--and not, as usual, the corporate bad guys--he warily accepts. Maybe they're turning a corner, he thinks"--
Tournament of Lawyers traces in detail the rise of one hundred of the nation's top firms in order to diagnose the health of the business of American law. Galanter and Palay demonstrate that much of the large firm's organizational success stems from its ability to blend the talents of experienced partners with those of energetic junior lawyers driven by a powerful incentive—the race to win "the promotion-to-partner tournament." This calmly reasoned study reveals, however, that the very causes of the spiraling growth of the large law firm may lead to its undoing. "Galanter and Palay pose questions and offer some answers which are certain to change the way big firm practice is regarded. To describe their work as challenging is something of an understatement: they at times delight, stimulate, frustrate and even depress the reader, but they never disappoint. Tournament of Lawyers is essential to the understanding of the business of the big law firms."—Jean and Colin Fergus, New York Law Journal
“Big Law has it all. A locomotive drive, a fantastic, appealing, big-hearted narrative voice, and an inside and very entertaining look at the intersection of big law and big business. Smart and truly unputdownable.” —John Lescroart As a young partner at Dunn & Sullivan, one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Carney Blake has represented dozens of high-profile clients. But being a pawn of Big Law often means defending the corporate dirt bags of the world—the spillers, the drillers, and the killers. Morality aside, Carney is starting to make a name for himself, despite having a father who resents his success and an unpredictable big brother bent on self-destruction. So when Carney is suddenly asked by his firm's chairman to represent the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit—and not, as usual, the corporate bad guys—he warily accepts. Maybe they're turning a corner, he thinks. And even if they aren't, when else has a junior partner been assigned such a major case, with a possible billion dollar payout? But Carney can't fool himself for very long. As he digs deeper into the case, he uncovers corruption and maliciously orchestrated schemes that go straight to the top of Dunn & Sullivan—along with the true motives behind his placement on the case. Written by former top litigator Ron Liebman, Big Law is a thrilling, fast-paced roman à clef that exposes the secrecy, deception, and machinations underlining America’s most powerful mega-firms.
An “engaging and suspenseful” novel of a first-generation Chinese American having second thoughts about her elite Manhattan law firm (The Wall Street Journal). Ingrid Yung’s life is full of firsts. A first-generation Chinese American, the first lawyer in her family, she’s about to collect the holy grail of firsts and become the first minority woman to make partner at the venerable old Wall Street law firm Parsons Valentine & Hunt. Ingrid has perfected the art of “passing” and seamlessly blends into the old-boy corporate culture. She gamely banters in the cafeteria, plays in the firm softball league, and earnestly racks up her billable hours. But when an offensive incident at the summer outing threatens the firm’s reputation, Ingrid’s outsider status is suddenly thrown into sharp relief. Scrambling to do damage control, Parsons Valentine announces a new diversity and inclusion initiative, commanding Ingrid to spearhead the effort—just as she’s about to close an enormous transaction that was to be her final step in securing partnership. For the first time, Ingrid begins to question her place in the firm. Pitted against her colleagues, including her golden-boy boyfriend, Ingrid wonders whether the prestige of partnership is worth breaching her ethics. But can she risk throwing away the American dream that’s finally within her reach? “Thought-provoking . . . [a] compelling tale.” —Booklist “Funny, fragile, sometimes bold, often unsure, Ingrid Yung is one of those unforgettable heroines that you actually miss, like a dear friend, when the story’s over.’“—Ann Leary, New York Times–bestselling author of The Foundling “Intriguing and entertaining.” —Library Journal
This book, part of the Stanford Law School research project on the future of the legal profession, thoroughly examines the future of “big law,” defined as the large and mid-size multiservice highly specialized law firms that provide sophisticated, complex and generally costly legal work to multinationals, large and mid-size domestic corporations, and other business clients. By systematically gathering, assessing, and analyzing the best available quantitative and qualitative data on the first tier of the corporate legal services market of Latin America and Spain, and interviewing a broadly representative sample of corporate legal officers, law firm partners, and other stakeholders in each of the countries covered, this book provides a nuanced perspective on changes in “big law” during the last two decades until the present. It also explores the factors that are driving these changes, and the implications for the future of legal profession, legal education and its relationship with the corporate sector and society in general.
Practicing law in a law firm is challenging, to say the least. A law degree and the technical skills taught by law firms are only small parts of what you need to survive and succeed in a law firm. Most of what you need to know will take you decades of experience to learn through trial and error. As a result, new lawyers find themselves slogging through life as a firm associate unsure whether or not their efforts are really getting them anywhere in the long run. This state of perpetual uncertainty, pushing slowly forward into a black void, leaves many very unhappy with their work life and, as a consequence, their overall life suffers. There is an easier way. Imagine knowing that the steps you are taking are in fact leading to success. Imagine having a mentor who has already worked his way up the learning curve, already learned through trial and error what works and what doesn't work, who could share with you techniques and insights that could substantially increase your chances of surviving and succeeding at a law firm. Imagine if such mentor was always immediately available to you at your request. Well, this book was written precisely to be a virtual mentor for the multitudes of lawyers struggling to survive and succeed in law firms.This book is a must read for any law student considering a career at a law firm. This book is also an invaluable asset for any associate at a law firm struggling to survive and succeed. Give yourself an edge and learn from a lawyer who not only survived but succeeded in the world of prestigious, global law firms.
Now in its Second Edition "Growth is Dead" addresses the future of "BigLaw" (or "SophisticatedLaw") in the wake of the great financial reset of 2008 and its continuing repercussions including: (a) relentless pricing pressures; (b) excess capacity; (c) partner expectations; and (d) the accelerating entry of new "legal service provider" organizations, with all their implications for career paths, the traditional leveraged staffing model of law firms, and much more. Brad Karp, Chair of the Firm at Paul Weiss, describes it thus: "I read all 12 installments of your series with great interest...twice. This is an extraordinary body of work that reflects enormous insight and ought be required reading by managing partners of law firms and professional services organizations. You do a very effective job of challenging the status quo and your series is a much-needed wake up call for our profession. As always, I plan to share many of your insights with my partners. And I plan to cogitate over many of your proposed initiatives." "2012 Year in Review: Must-Read." "Any review of 2012 must begin with Bruce MacEwen's 12-part "Growth is Dead" series, which looks at, and analyzes, the monumental effects of the Great Recession on the legal industry." "Immediately became required reading for law firm leaders, by the one and only Bruce MacEwen." - Bloomberg Law "When it comes to the economics of the legal industry, there's Bruce MacEwen and then there's everyone else."
Learn about compelling worlds and characters depicted in myths and legends in The Mythology Book. Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Mythology in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for novices looking to find out more and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Mythology Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in. This captivating book will broaden your understanding of Mythology, with: - More than 80 classics retold and explained in mythology - Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts - A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout - Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understanding The Mythology Book allows you delve into each myth, discover the meanings behind them, and understand their significance to different cultures worldwide - aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you'll find global coverage of world myths, profiling everything from the well-known tales of the Greeks, Norsemen, and Egyptians to the legends of the Caribbean, the Americas, Oceania, and East Asia. Your Mythological Questions, Simply Explained Learn about myths in this essential guide, from early creation beliefs to classical hero narratives and the recurring theme of the afterlife. Delve into each myth and discover the meanings behind these stories, getting to the heart of their significance to different cultures worldwide. If you thought it was difficult to learn about the many classic stories, The Mythology Book presents key information in a clear layout. Discover Zeus, god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods, Loki, the cunning trickster with a knack for causing havoc, Thor with his mighty hammer, and Hades, ruler of the underworld - and much more. The Big Ideas Series With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Mythology Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.
In this insightful, action-oriented book that goes way beyond the usual "business development tips for lawyers", Michelle Cotter Richards, a former Biglaw litigator and in-house counsel, draws on her years of experience coaching Biglaw attorneys to teach readers an entirely new approach to Biglaw business development. Originate contains powerful strategies to help Biglaw attorneys develop business right away, even in the face of the ever-changing market for Biglaw legal services. Originate analyzes the systemic evolution of Biglaw and its future direction, leading to the inescapable conclusion that an entirely new understanding of Biglaw business development is in order. Integrating concepts from experts such as Daniel Pink, Dr. Larry Richard and Susan Swaim Daicoff, lawyers who implement the practical, research-driven concepts in Originate will be poised for success no matter what the future holds for Biglaw. A must read for Biglaw rainmakers and future rainmakers everywhere.