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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

THE TOP 30 – In the legal market, the rich are getting richer. Patrick Smith reports that this year's list of super rich firms released by Law.com affiliate The American Lawyer shows just how much 30 firms drove the Am Law 100's growth in 2019. Super rich firms, for instance, saw their revenue grow almost three times as much as the rest of the Am Law 100 last year. This year's super rich list also included newcomer Fenwick & West, while previous participants Williams & Connolly and King & Spalding didn't make the cut.

TOO BIG TO PAY - Equal pay may be harder to come by in larger U.S. organizations. Phillip Bantz reports on a survey from Major, Lindsey & Africa that found that gender pay disparities in corporate legal departments tend to be higher in companies with greater revenues. Companies with over $10 billion in revenue, for example, had a gender pay gap of around 40% in favor of male GCs. One co-author of the survey was surprised by the results, but noted the discrepancies appear to be tied to bonuses instead of base salaries.

MERGER METRICS - Firms looking to stay afloat in a struggling economy take heed: Mergers aren't always a recipe for immediate success. Analyzing four Am Law 100 mergers over the past decade, Christine Simmons reports that many merged firms' revenue in their early years lagged behind or was flat when compared to the combined revenue the separate entities made before the merger. Still, most merged firms analyzed also increased their revenue per attorney, grew their client relationships, and made important lateral hires they believe wouldn't have been possible as a separate entity.

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EDITOR'S PICKS

Tech Giants Pledge Their IP to COVID-19 Fight

 New York Financial Regulator Sues Opioid Maker, Alleging It Downplayed Usage Risk

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

RÉSUMÉ RISKS – Partners should think twice the next time they receive a résumé. Hannah Roberts reports that recruiters in the UK are putting firms at risk by sending job applicants' résumés directly to firm partners—without the applicants' consent. Hosting personal data without expressed permission runs afoul of the GDPR, the EU's far reaching privacy law which still applies in the UK. To address these privacy risks, some firms are using software that requires applicants to grant permission to an HR department before accessing their résumé.

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WHAT YOU SAID

"We've always encouraged team members to pick up the phone, rather than invariably resort to email or instant messaging, but now it's even more important than ever to increase the frequency of voice or video contact and help diminish the sense of isolation."

— Peggy Giunta, chief legal personnel and professional development officer at WilmerHale, discussing how practice group leaders can promote a sense of community within the firm while staff is working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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