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CONFERENCE AGENDA

THE MPF 2010 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
April 29, 2010 - 8:00am - 5:30pm
Capital City Club - Atlanta, Georgia

FINAL AGENDA 

8:00 a.m.
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
Coffee and Continental Breakfast
 
8:30 a.m.
WELCOMING REMARKS
President, TheRemsenGroup
 
8:45 a.m.
OPENING SESSION (General Session)
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS 
Evolution or Revolution?
Twenty years ago, law firms operated in a different world. They could rely on expertise, experience and the resulting word of mouth to find the next client. And firm owners could build profitable careers by simply doing good work and charging accordingly. However, just a short time ago, something changed. The clients took control, and many law firms are struggling with this new shift in power. The time has come to finally make the hard choices that so many firms have been putting off for years. Some firms will adapt successfully to the new marketplace, while others fall by the wayside. A recent State of the Legal Industry Survey published by LexisNexis reveals some startling findings.   
Vice President - Client Profitability, LexisNexis
 

Update on The ACC Value Challenge
"This is the time for change," says the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), an organization consisting of more than 24,000 in-house counsel from 80 countries. ACC leaders have called for fundamental changes in the way law firms conduct business. And it’s much more than an effort to achieve lower hourly rates, they say. The ACC Value Challenge proposes more trust, better communication, improved staffing efficiency, and more predictable fees. Is your firm ready? This brief session reviews the goals of the initiative, with an update on how it's going so far.
Susan Hackett, Esq.
Sr. Vice President & General Counsel, Association of Corporate Counsel

Playing to Win in a Changing Market
The challenges confronting managing partners today are unprecedented, but the objective is still the same: playing to win. Winning firms will rely on disciplined leaders with strategies that fit the firm and the ability to marshal its key people to work together to achieve results.
Bruce N. Hawthorne, Esq.
Co-founder, Consigliere Group
 
9:30 a.m.
PANEL DISCUSSION (General Session)
Featuring state-of-the-art Audience Participation Technology (APT) and a panel consisting of four of the country's top law firm management consultants.
 
President, TheRemsenGroup
 
 
Vice President - Client Profitability, LexisNexis
 
Bruce N. Hawthorne, Esq.
Co-founder, Consigliere Group
 
 
10:45 a.m.
MORNING BREAK
 
11:00 a.m.
MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
Session One
The MPIE concept is explained below.
 
Small Firms (<25 lawyers)
 
Mid-size I Firms (25-75 lawyers)
Facilitator: Jeff Reade
 
Mid-size II Firms (76-150 lawyers)
Facilitator: Gerald A. Bush, Ph.D.
Co-founder, Consigliere Group
 
Large Firms (>150 lawyers)
Facilitator: Darryl Cross
Vice President - Client Profitability, LexisNexis
 
12:30 p.m.
LUNCHEON
 
1:00 p.m.
LUNCH PRESENTATION (General Session)

Lunch and Look: Law Firm Advertising Trends
What are your competitors communicating through styles, content and placement of their advertisements? Are they practice-specific or promoting overall awareness? Are they still using print, or have they focused more on electronic media? During lunch, we'll take a look at what every managing partner needs to know about emerging trends in law firm advertising gracing the pages and pixels of national law publications and websites.
Rob Marbury
Creative Director, Marbury Creative Group

 
1:30 p.m.
MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
Session Two
 
2:45 p.m.
AFTERNOON BREAK
 
3:00 p.m.
MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
Session Three
 
4:15 p.m.
RECEPTION
 
5:30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
 

 
ABOUT MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)


Since their introduction in 2003, MPIEs have been consistently rated as the most valuable portion of the Forum by those who participate. They offer a highly interactive format during which managing partners share ideas and practical solutions to the challenges of leading a successful law firm.

Each MPIE consists of 15-18 managing partners grouped by firm size. The sessions are facilitated by a professionally trained discussion leader with participation by some of the country's leading law firm management consultants.

Topics are determined in advance based on input from the Forum Faculty and Forum Advisory Board. They often include:

  • Strategic Planning (including Succession Planning)
  • Leading Change and the Role of the Managing Partner
  • Compensation Systems
  • Staffing and Administration
  • Associate Recruiting and Retention (including Gen X,Y and Diversity Issues)
  • Firm Governance and Partnership Structures
  • Growth Strategies (including Mergers, Lateral Hires and Branch Offices)
  • Strategies to Improve Profitability
  • Marketing and Business Development

In this rich, interactive environment among peers, law firm leaders learn about best practices, acquire critical benchmark information and establish relationships with other firm leaders.

 
MPIE TOPICS
 

Your Role as Managing Partner….and Getting Paid for It
  Paul E. Clifford, Esq.  
  Peter A. Johnson, Esq.
  Law Practice Consultants

Building a Collaborative, Firm First Culture
  Bruce N. Hawthorne, Esq.
  Co-founder, Consigliere Group
  John Remsen, Jr.
  President, TheRemsenGroup

Tackling the Tough Issues
  John S. Smock
  Partner, Smock-Sterling Strategic Management Consultants
  Robert W. Denney
  President, Robert Denney Associates