I attended a panel discussion on law firm innovation this spring hosted by an international firm. It was full of great anecdotes from the firm, clients and consultants on ways it and others should, could and are changing the business of law. But then one of the firm's clients stood up to say something.

The client directed his comment to the head of the firm, saying, essentially: “I hear what you and other firm leaders are saying, but I'm telling you that when I work with partners at your firm and others on actual matters, this change management is not filtering down.”

Ouch. Was this just a tough client? Or was it indicative of how clients really feel? Then a few weeks later, Altman Weil's Law Firms in Transition Survey came out, showing that clients and firm leaders actually share some of the same frustrations. The number one reason that firm leaders cited for why they aren't doing more to change is that partners resist most of those efforts.