Hugh A Simons
March 05, 2024 | The American Lawyer
The Leadership Implications of Overpaid Service Partners"Most partners in support practices are earning dramatically more than they ever thought they would, and at root they know they're earning more than their practices warrant," writes Hugh Simons.
By Hugh A. Simons
5 minute read
January 26, 2024 | The American Lawyer
Partner Comp Systems and Competitive Advantage: Lessons From the Kirkland, Cravath, and Paul Weiss Lateral-Hiring WarsWhat makes comp systems so insidious is that they're so hard to change.
By Hugh A. Simons
12 minute read
December 04, 2023 | The American Lawyer
Clients or Partners? Who Does a Big Law Merger Have to Please More?Law firm strategy is driven by appealing to clients and partners, but one of those two components is ultimately more important than the other to make a merger successful, Hugh Simons and Kent Zimmerman explain in this piece.
By Kent M. Zimmermann and Hugh A. Simons
8 minute read
November 14, 2023 | The American Lawyer
Big Law Mergers: How to Catch a Falling KnifeHistory suggests that acquiring a "falling knife firm" can be accretive for the acquiring firm but that it requires something of the order of a 30% reduction in the equity partner ranks at the acquired firm, Hugh Simons writes.
By Hugh A. Simons
9 minute read
October 30, 2023 | The American Lawyer
How Big Law Mergers Succeed: The Quiet Part Out LoudIn short: mergers between healthy firms work, Hugh Simons explains, detailing data that shows adding an unhealthy firm into the mix is a recipe for multi-year declines in PEP rank.
By Hugh A. Simons
6 minute read
September 27, 2023 | The American Lawyer
In-House Counsel: Big Law's Clear and Present DangerHugh Simons looks at the growth of in-house counsel, the future impact of Gen AI and what it will really take to be an equity partner in Big Law moving forward.
By Hugh A. Simons
9 minute read
August 25, 2023 | The American Lawyer
A&O Shearman: The Compelling but Unspoken RationaleIndustry observer Hugh A. Simons dives into historical data and law firm dynamics to explore the true, though perhaps unspoken, benefits of a merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling.
By Hugh A. Simons
13 minute read
June 26, 2023 | The American Lawyer
Are Clients Really Shifting Work from Big Law to Lower-Priced Firms?Demand fell last year for the Am Law 100, was flat for the Am Law second hundred, and grew for midsize firms. But data and history suggest this isn't the Second Hundred eating the 100's lunch.
By Hugh A. Simons
8 minute read
May 16, 2023 | The American Lawyer
The Case for Deferring First-YearsLaw firms don't defer first-years for the savings. Rather, it's something much more significant than that, Hugh Simons explains in arguing why firms and 3Ls alike should consider a lengthy deferral.
By Hugh A. Simons
9 minute read
April 19, 2021 | The American Lawyer
Managing Profits By Cutting Partners and Practices Is No Longer ViableFirms will be hard-pressed moving forward to manage profitability through changes to the partner tiers; instead, Hugh Simons argues, they will have to change partner behavior.
By Hugh A. Simons
5 minute read
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