Publications

February 2000 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Venture Law Group (A)

By: Thomas J. DeLong, Ashish Nanda and Scott D Landry

Craig Johnson, Venture Law Group's (VLG) chairman, founded VLG in 1993 with a goal of "zero voluntary turnover." In late 1998, Johnson faces the departure of three important partners, prompting himself to ask what VLG can do in the midst of an "economic hurricane" that... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Customer Relationship Management; Partners and Partnerships; Retention; Legal Services Industry

08 Jun 2011
News

Alumni News: Jimmy Rane

http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/bulletin/alumni-news/story-rane.html View Details

Keywords: Legal Services; Legal Services

04 Oct 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Imperfect Information, Patent Publication, and the Market for Ideas

Keywords: by Deepak Hegde & Hong Luo; Legal Services

29 Oct 2010
Research & Ideas

Will I Stay or Will I Go? How Gender and Race Affect Turnover at ‘Up-or-Out’ Organizations

Date of Event: May 10, 2010 Speakers: Kathleen McGinn Gender and racial inequalities continue to persist at "up-or- out" knowledge organizations such as law firms, making it difficult for women and minorities to advance to senior levels. These inequalities... View Details

Keywords: Re: Kathleen L. McGinn; Legal Services

November 2002 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Merchant Card Services, Inc. (A)

By: Constance E. Bagley and David Lane

Explores the interaction between a venture capital firm that negotiates a good deal for itself and the portfolio company that seeks to extricate itself from its obligations. Exemplifies the potential conflicts between the fiduciary duty of board members and the... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Deal; Legal Liability; Conflict and Resolution; Financial Services Industry

Find at Harvard

20 Feb 2019
News

Dean Nohria: Business Schools have a Vital Role in Teaching Trust

decision through the triple lens of their economic, legal and ethical responsibilities,” says Nohria. “Beginning in 2020, the curriculum will go further by asking students to consider what proactive, positive things they should be doing... View Details

01 Dec 2004
News

Finding a Balance

deals with ethics, governance, and legal issues. “At that point the case changed to focus on tensions between pricing as a reward for investment in R&D versus making a product available to poor people who will die without it,” says... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Educational Services; Educational Services

23 Oct 2000
Conference Presentation

Organizational Leadership and Decision-Making: Challenges Facing General Counsel

By: Lynn S. Paine

Keywords: Organizations; Leadership; Decision Making; Law; Problems and Challenges; Legal Services Industry

March 2015
Case

Clifford Chance: Women at Work

By: Boris Groysberg, Katherine Connolly and Stephanie Marton

It was October 2013, and global law firm Clifford Chance was coming under fire for the second time in less than a year for reputedly failing to provide a supportive work environment for its female associates. A memo entitled "Speaking Effectively" was just issued to... View Details

Keywords: Women; Law; Fairness; Employee Relationship Management; Retention; Human Capital; Organizational Culture; Performance Expectations; Work-Life Balance; Public Opinion; Problems and Challenges; Legal Services Industry; United States

August 2008
Case

Sloan & Harrison: Non-Equity Partner Discontent

By: Boris Groysberg and Eliot Sherman

The law firm, Sloan & Harrison, was dealing with some discontent among its junior non-equity partners. These partners were concerned with the transparency of the advancement process, their ability to position themselves as both leaders within the firm and rainmakers,... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Human Resources; Leadership Development; Management Style; Performance; Work-Life Balance; Legal Services Industry

August 2008
Case

Sloan & Harrison: The Associate Challenge

By: Boris Groysberg and Eliot Sherman

The law firm, Sloan & Harrison, was confronting issues pertaining to morale and turnover among its associate ranks. Annual surveys of associates revealed increasing dissatisfaction, particularly with respect to partner communication, work-life balance, and mentorship.... View Details

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Employees; Human Resources; Leadership Development; Management Style; Performance; Work-Life Balance; Conflict Management; Legal Services Industry

May 2002
Teaching Note

Venture Law Group (A) & (B), TN

By: Ashish Nanda and Thomas J. DeLong

Teaching Note for (9-800-065) and (9-800-191). View Details

Keywords: Legal Services Industry

November 1995
Case

"Marketing" at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Samanta Graff

Describes the history and unique operating principles of the most successful corporate law firm in the country. Closes with a lengthy quotation by Martin Lipton, who is one of the firm's founding partners and who is described in an American Lawyer article as the "Elvis... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Reputation; Business Strategy; Legal Services Industry