Akerman CEO Scott Meyers on Strategic Leadership in Law Firms

What do clients and professional references evaluate during the Best Law Firms® research process? Senior Vice President of Research & Product Strategy Elizabeth Petit, PMP breaks down the six components of the reference survey and how they contribute to the research behind our rankings.

What will shape law firms’ strategic priorities for 2027? Increasing competition, the challenge of attracting and retaining top talent, advancing technology, and rising practice costs are creating an increasingly complex environment for law firms. In association with The Law Society, our latest Strategic Sector Insights survey is seeking the views of partners at mid-sized law firms across England and Wales, to understand how these challenges are influencing strategic planning for 2027. The research will provide valuable insight into the priorities of firms across the sector, helping leaders benchmark their strategic thinking as they plan for the year ahead. Share your perspective and take part in the survey: https://ow.ly/bNzK50ZRkoX #Legal #LawFirms #LawSociety #LegalSector #Strategy #ProfessionalServices

✨ EXPERT SPOTLIGHT Meet Habeeb Gobir, distinguished Lawyer making meaningful contributions in the field of Intellectual Property & Tech Law. In this edition of our Expert Spotlight Series, we highlight their journey, insights, and perspective on the evolving landscape of Intellectual Property & Tech Law. Check our next post to get to know the expert behind the expertise. #ExpertSpotlight #ExpertSeries #ProfessionalSpotlight #Leadership #Innovation

Another big announcement from Pulse Law as Anthony de Fazekas joins the firm to launch and lead our new Intellectual Property team! This enhances our capability to now support our clients through both the corporate and IP sides of the growth lifecycle. And it adds a new dimension to our Toronto team and our firm's presence throughout the Canadian innovation ecosystem. Welcome, Anthony!

As the legal landscape continues to evolve, many former Big Law leaders are transitioning into consulting roles, leveraging their extensive experience to guide firms navigating this dynamic environment. This shift represents a growing niche that aligns expertise with industry demands, even as law firm consulting remains relatively underdeveloped. Discover more about this trend and the insights from industry veterans here: https://okt.to/nRC8kg

What are some new routes to sustainable law firm growth? https://lnkd.in/eBvhQcTN Our Chambers Advantage Index gave us a full look into the growth stories of US law firms, with surprising results shown. We called this growing cohort, Accelerating Challengers. In this article, we look at what makes a firm an Accelerating Challenger, what they’re doing so well, and what we can learn from them.

Had a great time today at the legal innovation hackathon put on by Emory's Hatchery and the AAA-ICDR, and I'm happy to report that our team took first place. Each of the four teams picked one of following topics to develop over the next 90 minutes: court and government ADR, access to justice, fairness in arbitration, or AI and ADR. We chose access to justice and kept coming back to one problem. Plenty of people agree to arbitration without a second thought (in a lease, a phone plan, a job offer), and when a dispute comes up, they're often left to figure out the process on their own. Our idea, Fairway, is a confidential workspace that comes free with the arbitration clause. It helps a party keep their documents and timeline in one place, track deadlines and fees, research the law, use templates, read the arbitration rules in plain language, and see whether a proposed arbitrator has any conflicts. If they hire a lawyer later, there is a pre-organized case file ready to hand over. We were just as deliberate about what it doesn't do: it doesn't give legal advice or take sides, and each party has access to the same suite of tools. Thanks to my teammates Eric Martin, Brian Fellner-Farmer, Kareem Ezzeddine, Maleri Ginsberg, and Spencer White, and to the The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation and AAA-ICDR teams for hosting. A few screens from our mockup are below. #AccessToJustice #Arbitration #LegalInnovation

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗨𝗦𝗔 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀? When it comes to Legal 500 𝗨𝗦𝗔, not all rankings are created equal — and understanding the different types of coverage can help firms identify where they have the strongest opportunities for recognition. There are three key types of coverage to consider: 🇺🇸 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 – Recognising firms with strong practices and capabilities across the US. 📍 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 – Highlighting firms and practices operating in specific state markets. 🏙️ 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 – Focusing on leading lawyers and firms in individual cities and local markets. Each offers different opportunities, and knowing where your firm fits is an important part of developing an effective submissions strategy. 🎥 In our latest video, Laurence Mussett, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗲, explains the differences between National, States and Elite coverage — and what law firms should consider when deciding where to focus their efforts. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗨𝗦𝗔 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀? #Legal500 #Legal500USA #LegalDirectories #LawFirmMarketing #LegalRankings

We had a great conversation with Joshua Lenon, David Vicknair and Emily LaRusch on a critical topic for modern law firms on From Lead to Signed Client: Where Law Firms Lose Prospects and How to Win Them Back In this webinar, we explored how firms can improve their client acquisition journey, identify where potential clients are slipping away, and create better systems to turn more leads into signed cases. A huge thank you to our speakers for sharing their insights and experiences with our audience. 📌 Check out the webinar and learn how law firms can build a stronger path from first contact to signed client. #LawFirmGrowth #LegalMarketing #ClientAcquisition #LawFirmLeadership #LegalTech

Most law firms believe they have a clear strategy. Yet alignment between strategy and day-to-day decision-making remains a challenge. Natalie Runyon, author of The Clarity Dividend: How strategic alignment separates law firm winners, shares insights from the research, including the gap between strategic confidence and behavior. Explore additional findings on how strategic clarity may influence law firm performance, talent retention, and brand strength. Watch the full insights video or download the report to learn more. https://ow.ly/f87V50ZR5oo #LawFirmLeadership #LawFirmStrategy #TRInstitute #TRIReports