Law firms are operating in a unique environment in 2019. They are coming off of what, for many, was a record financial year, with promises of big gains in 2019 as well. Yet there is a recession looming and the growing threat of alternative law companies and the Big Four is ever present. Similarly, in-house legal departments are grappling with how to be responsive to their business units, which legal services providers are the right fit and how the legal department can drive revenue and minimize risk.

Helping you answer those questions and provide insight into what your peers and the larger market are doing, all while giving access to the client point of view, was exactly why we created the Business of Law Forum. I didn't just want to quote people on these subjects in the pages of The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel and beyond. I wanted to foster real-life discussion and debate all in the hopes of helping the profession move forward in an exciting and sometimes challenging environment.

And moving forward can't be done in a vacuum. That is why the forum, taking place on January 29-30 at the New York Hilton Midtown as part of ALM's Legalweek, brings together high-level thought leaders from law departments, law firms, the Big Four, consultancies and more to hash out what success looks like in the legal profession these days and how to get there.

All this talk of change, however, is meaningless if it isn't done with the clients' needs in mind, which is why we have a particular focus this year on what is driving decision making in legal departments and the C-suite.

During the Business of Law Forum, you will hear from general counsel on topics ranging from the business pressures driving their decision making to what they think of law firm innovation, global law firm expansion, pricing and everything in between. You will hear from the Big Four about just what their plans are for the U.S. legal market and beyond. Hear our panel of analysts and data experts on what work is at risk of being handled by other providers and what law firm business models are succeeding. All this and much more is on tap for what will be an opportunity for law firm and law department leadership to work together on navigating and crafting the evolution of the legal industry.

The sessions were developed by The American Lawyer's editorial team in conjunction with an advisory board of law firm and law department leaders, legal educators and consultants. The sessions are equally applicable to heads of law firms, GCs, members of firm and corporate c-suites and anyone interested in the business of law.

Check out the Business of Law agenda and speaking faculty here, and register here.

And please reach out to me at [email protected] with story ideas, questions, or topics you think we should tackle. The best article ideas come from what our readers are experiencing on the ground. We hope to see you at Legalweek and continue these important conversations well into 2019 and beyond!