Marcie Borgal Shunk

January 11, 2018 | New York Law Journal

Law Firm Marketing columnist Marcie Borgal Shunk writes: As the connection between the billable hour and financial success becomes more tenuous, so too does the premise for advocating a highly leveraged business model comprised primarily of lawyers. The pyramid model the industry has grown to know and love may be coming to an end. What will surface in its place?

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

7 minute read

December 08, 2017 | The Legal Intelligencer

Recent news and awards indicate law firms are increasing their investments in innovation. Stories of recently launched innovation committees, R&D teams and idea labs routinely grace the pages of industry publications. Yet despite these investments, the trajectory of the industry as a whole seems to have remained largely unchanged. Why are innovation efforts by larger law firms failing to make a meaningful impact?

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

5 minute read

December 01, 2017 | New York Law Journal

Law Firm Marketing columnist Marcie Borgal Shunk asks and analyzes the question: Why are innovation efforts by larger law firms failing to make a meaningful impact?

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

5 minute read

September 27, 2017 | The Legal Intelligencer

First, please allow me to ­acknowledge that no, I am not particularly into self-denigration. I am also well aware that I am, in fact, a consultant to the legal industry. This article is not intended to be an attack on any individuals or even the profession as a whole. Think of it instead as a reset; as an opportunity for reflection and advancement.

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

6 minute read

September 22, 2017 | New York Law Journal

Law Firm Marketing columnist Marcie Borgal Shunk writes: There is much to be learned from young companies and from taking a blank slate approach to the way we, as an industry, contemplate how best to structure, operate and compete in a rapidly changing and dynamic environment. Taking a cue from some of the organizations that have displaced traditional Fortune 500 companies, if we abandon all that we know to be true—the billable hour as the pinnacle of measuring performance, the pyramid structure comprised predominantly of trained lawyers, the adulation of sophisticated legal services—what's left?

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

6 minute read

August 17, 2017 | The Legal Intelligencer

Big Law is not dead. Nor will it die. The visions laid out by noted ­experts in "Tomorrowland"and "End of Lawyers?" shine a light on the types of things a futurist might predict: (cue radio voice) "In a world run by robots and with universal income ..." The threats are real. Yet as Gina Passarella points out in her article, "The Dance Around Change," tangible shifts in the business model of law are slow to come. Resistance is high, as is "dabbling"—a noncommittal attempt to test the waters with little to no real risk (or reward). What can the law firm ­executives of today do to make the incremental, ­fundamental changes to prepare their firms for what's to come? And perhaps equally importantly, do they 
want to?

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

6 minute read

August 14, 2017 | New Jersey Law Journal

Analysis of five elements that together will combine to determine the market position, financial health and, ultimately, sustainability of a law firm.

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

6 minute read

May 15, 2017 | New York Law Journal

Law Firm Management columnist Marcie Borgal Shunk writes: Rather than wait on the sidelines as new technologies disrupt their industries, large corporations across a wide variety of sectors have found ways to encourage, explore and integrate game-changing advances into their portfolios. A handful of law firms to date have tiptoed into these waters, housing incubators for startups or acquiring technology upstarts to augment their ability to deliver legal services more efficiently or effectively.

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

9 minute read

May 12, 2017 | The Legal Intelligencer

Not unlike law firms, large ­companies constantly struggle to drive change within their organizations. When faced with monumental shifts such as the internet boom, iPhone or, more recently, analytics and artificial intelligence, ­several companies have profited—financially and, at times, strategically—through investments in the entrepreneurial, often smaller, ­companies pioneering change.

By Marcie Borgal Shunk

9 minute read

May 12, 2017 | Daily Business Review

A handful of law firms to date have tiptoed into these waters, housing incubators for startups or acquiring technology upstarts to augment their ability to deliver legal services more efficiently or effectively. Yet there is much to be learned from understanding the history, trials and errors and, more recently, notable successes of CVCs. A fascinating and well-documented history of CVCs from the data gurus at CB Insights offers perspective and some valuable lessons, writes Marcie Borgal Shunk.

By Commentary by Marcie Borgal Shunk

9 minute read