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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

SEE YOU AT THE CROSSROADS - Over the past two years, law firms have surprised many a naysayer by demonstrating a previously unseen ability to adapt to extreme circumstances and unanticipated challenges. But 2022 could be the true test of whether this notoriously change-averse segment of the industry has any appetite for true, lasting transformation. In our first Law.com Trendspotter column of 2022, we're examining how law firms' approaches to talent acquisition and retention are poised to fundamentally change forever—or, y'know, not. The pandemic still appears to be far from "over" (whatever that means), but we're reaching a point at which law firms must decide whether they want to attempt to "get back to normal" (whatever that means) or embrace a new normal. For large firms, in particular, exhibiting a resistance to change at this crucial moment could cost them talent. But will it? That largely depends on what happens to the power balance between firms and talent in 2022.

FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY - Like the ever-mutating coronavirus, cybersecurity threats have been evolving since the beginning of the pandemic. What worked last year may now not be enough to ward off infection as cyber scams become harder to detect and more sophisticated. As Law.com's Rhys Dipshan writes in this week's Law.com Barometer newsletter, while law firms have been expanding training, rolling out secure devices and VPNs, and investing more in cybersecurity resources since early 2020, their security posture still faces glaring gaps. And far from being cognizant of their shortcomings, many are overconfident in their ability to weather the storm. To receive the Law.com Barometer directly to your inbox each week, click here.

UNFAIR GAME? - A former GameStop executive filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against the company Thursday in Texas Northern District Court. Bruce Kulp, who is represented by Smyser Kaplan & Veselka, accuses GameStop of firing him to prevent the disclosure of negative information regarding the financial impact of increased shipping costs. Kulp, who served as GameStop's senior vice president of supply chain for more than a decade, claims that he was fired in late 2020 after preparing an analysis of the issue for GameStop's board of directors. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is 4:22-cv-00012, Kulp v. GameStop Corp. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.  

EDITOR'S PICKS

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

ILL-SUITED? - Just 35% of 600 large global companies' legal and risk leaders feel fully confident in how prepared they are to face litigation this year, as regulatory pressures continue to ramp up globally, Law.com International's Hannah Walker reports. A report by Baker McKenzie has found that only 35% of companies with an annual revenue over $500 million based in the U.K., U.S., Singapore or Brazil feel totally confident in their preparedness to tackle litigation, with the figure dropping to just 14% in the U.K.  The firm surveyed senior legal and risk leaders at the organizations for the report, which also found high levels of nervousness about a perceived high risk of external investigations from regulators and law enforcement agencies. Of the global respondents, 82% said they are experiencing concern over the issue, while 65% also worried about internal investigations, according to the report.

WHAT YOU SAID

"My advisor, who was a professor, introduced himself and asked me, 'Why are you taking the seat of a man who will use this to make a living?'"