Tag Archives: Staff

7 Steps to Building Better Client Relationships

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Join me for a CLE on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 about how to cultivate your network, balance client expectations, proactively control social media content, meet client needs, and become more client-centric by exploring the 7 steps to building better client relationships:

  • Capturing better clients
  • Polishing communication skills
  • Advancing client service through technology and staff
  • Managing social media
  • Improving client satisfaction
  • Strengthening client retention
  • Renewing relationships

Topics include how to CYA the right way, how to say “no” gracefully, dos and don’ts when responding to negative online reviews, how to thank clients as part of your everyday, the simple six-step process to stay in touch, and why you should modernize fee arrangements and billing.

Date/Time/Location

Wednesday, December 6, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time. This is a live, online webinar.

Who Should Attend?

Lawyers, office administrators, or staff – anyone interested in building better client relationships.

Group Discounts

Discounts available to firms who wish to register 5 or more attendees. Contact organizer to arrange a discount code before registering: beverly@oregonlawpracticemanagement.org.

Does the Program Include Written Materials?

Yes. Written materials are distributed electronically with your registration confirmation.

Ask Questions/Live Polling

Questions are welcome during the live event. Attendees are also encouraged to participate in live, anonymous polling.

Registration Fee

$25 – Visit the Upcoming CLE page, click here, or choose the Register button below. Secure payment processing powered by Eventbrite. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Program materials included in the registration price.

Eventbrite - 7 Steps to Building Better Client Relationships

MCLE Credits
1.50 practical skills pending.

Can’t Attend?

Video and audio recordings of 7 Steps to Building Better Client Relationships will be available to download along with the program materials following the December 6 CLE. Price: $25. Contact me or visit my online CLE store after December 6.

All Rights Reserved [2017] Beverly Michaelis

The Importance of Following Up

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Today’s post is inspired by Ben Schorr, technologist and senior content developer with Microsoft, who has “been in this business long enough to remember when Al Gore invented the Internet.”

Being the all-around smart guy that he is, Ben recently posted:

Follow-up is one of the most important skills you can have in business.

Ben couldn’t be more right, and let me tell you why.

Clients

When is the last time you checked in with your clients? Asked how they are faring? Provided them with a status update?

Nothing is more aggravating to clients (and more damaging to client relations) than failing to follow-up. Avoid this trap by establishing an office system that reminds you to reach out and make contact.  It can be as simple as a tickler system or reminder app. Consider the advantages of interactive web portals that offer clients 24/7 access and apps like Zipwhip that let you send scheduled texts and auto-replies to clients.  Are phones overwhelming you? Worried about missing client calls? Start using Call Ruby. (Discounts are available to Multnomah Bar Association members.)

Tasks and Deadlines

Always create follow-up reminders for all outstanding to-dos and deadlines – particularly those that require action from someone else.

  • Include everything to ensure you get what you need to complete tasks on time and avoid a potential malpractice claim.
  • Include everyone who owes you information, documents, or an undertaking. Clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, associates, staff, medical providers, investigators, and process servers are the tip of the iceberg.

Staff

Staff also deserve follow-up. Brief weekly meetings can cover a lot of ground: staff workloads, pending projects, your schedule, and responding to staff questions. For tips on working with and delegating to staff, see Revisiting Smart Delegation.

Finances

It’s been almost 7 years since I penned Accounts Receivable Do Not Improve Like Fine Wine, but the advice has not changed. You simply must follow-up on your finances:

Marketing and Business Goals

Follow-up is key when it comes to goal setting. Start by quantifying what you want to achieve, then be accountable (that’s the follow-up part). Whether it’s a business plan or a marketing plan, you are only cheating yourself if you don’t take the time to measure your results.

I’ve written extensively about marketing this year and prior years, both incidentally and deliberately.  If you’re looking for social media tips, resources for market research, how to calculate your marketing costs per case – you’ll find those posts here.  Use the Search feature at the top of my blog or under Categories choose “Marketing.” Whatever you do: follow-up!

All Rights Reserved 2017 Beverly Michaelis

Revisiting Smart Delegation

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mg1ysmkWhen we last discussed the subject of delegation, I shared tips for supervising lawyers and associates. That advice was fine as far as it went, but it left a gaping hole: how can we best utilize support staff? Being S-M-A-R-T is the best answer I’ve found to date.

S-M-A-R-T is shorthand for delegating tasks that are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Agreed
  • Realistic
  • Time-bound

The idea comes from Associate’s Mind, and the simplicity is genius.

The original post gives this additional advice:

Define the task. The more specific the better. Don’t attempt to delegate some open-ended assignment and then get upset with what you get back.
Assess ability. Who on your staff is capable of completing the task? Certain tasks are likely better suited to paralegals, while others are better suited to assistants. You need to take the time to learn who can do what. Once you’ve done that, you can select the right individual for the job.
Explain the reasons behind the task and why they were chosen.  This only applies if it’s a new, or novel task.
State required results.  Again, think specificity NOT “Tell me about the local rules in Court X.” Instead: “Please draft a memo on the local rules in Court X regarding discovery deadlines and how they apply to case Y.”
Agreed upon deadline. Don’t just assign a task and not give a deadline. Otherwise, the person you’re delegating the task to has no clue how urgent it is.
Support and communicate through the process if they need further information or assistance. Sometimes there are speed bumps in the process. This is to be expected, especially if it’s a novel task. You need to be available to give assistance if they stumble.
Provide feedback on results.  If the work product that is returned to you is sub-par, they need to know. On the flipside, if the work product is exactly what you needed and delivered on time, they deserve positive feedback as well.

My two cents?

If a task is complex or time-consuming, make regular progress reports part of the delegated assignment.  This will keep you informed and ease your mind about the status of the work.  Encourage staff to ask questions and use this opportunity to ferret out problems.

When giving feedback, be constructive.  Simply telling staff that work product is “sub-par,” doesn’t help you or them.  In fact, statistics show that people who receive feedback only apply it about 30% of the time.  If you want to improve those odds, follow these tips:

  • Assess what went wrong and consider your role – maybe you used the S-M-A-R-T method and maybe you didn’t….
  • Focus on the task, not the person. This is a training opportunity!
  • Is your quarrel with the method or the result?  If the result is desirable, but you would have done it differently, try not to be a nitpicker unless you have a good reason to be.
  • Be specific about what needs to be done differently and provide context.
  • Deliver the feedback as soon as possible.

All Rights Reserved (2017) Beverly Michaelis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choice of Entity for New Lawyers

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coffee-cup-and-docs-bought-at-ssChoosing a legal structure and entity type for your law firm seems like an easy decision. But is it? Consider the following scenarios:

New lawyer establishes law practice with the goal of becoming an associate

If this is you, being a straight-up sole proprietor may be the best choice, assuming you have no employees.

A sole proprietorship is the simplest and most common structure chosen to start a business:

  • No formal action is required to start your business
  • It’s inexpensive
  • No papers to file
  • Nothing to dissolve
  • Simple tax preparation

When you’re ready to make the move from running your own practice to becoming an associate, the transition couldn’t be any easier.

On the downside, sole proprietorship means you have unlimited contractual liability and potentially higher taxes.

But how significant is the liability exposure?

Lenders, property managers, and others with whom you do business will typically require a personal guarantee for loans, leases, or other business transactions.  A personal guarantee means YOU are on the hook, even if you form a professional corporation or single-member limited liability company. As a result, contractual liability protection doesn’t count for much in evaluating whether to form an entity.

The real choice between sole proprietorship and forming a PC or single-member LLC comes down to taxes and the trade-off between potentially saving money (with entity formation) and simplicity (going with the sole proprietorship model).  Talk to a CPA so you can make an informed decision.

What if I’m planning to practice business law or intellectual property?

Why would your area of practice make a difference?  And didn’t we just say entity choice is driven by risk aversion – wreaking whatever benefit you can from contractual liability protection – and saving money – courtesy of a lower tax burden?  So what difference could practicing business and IP law possibly make?

If your goal is to help clients form entities and protect intellectual property, it could look a little odd that you haven’t followed the usual formalities in establishing your own business.

Fair or not, client perception counts.  So does marketing.  And part of marketing is how you brand your law firm.  Appending a PC or LLC designation to your business name may actually be an important part of how you choose to present yourself to potential clients.

If you plan to have employees …

This is an entirely different ballgame.  Without a doubt, form an entity. If you are a solo, choose a PC or single-member limited liability company (LLC).

Both entity types offer liability protection for non-professional torts committed by your employees.  The contractual liability protection discussed above will also kick in.  Talk to a CPA, but the likelihood is that forming an entity will also result in a noticeable tax savings.

If you plan to practice with others …

This is another occasion when forming an entity is a no brainer.  Do it for the avoidance of liability discussed in the preceding paragraph and for the limitation on vicarious liability.  The ideal structure may be to form a sole owner PC or single-member LLC that belongs to the firm’s entity. This may allow you, as the individual lawyer, to completely escape personal vicarious liability.

Multi-tier entities are complex, administratively messy, and no longer have the tax benefits they once enjoyed.  BUT avoiding vicarious liability is a big plus.  To learn more about this strategy, read Choice of Entity for a Legal Practice and Lawyers as PCs, LLCs, & LLPs in Oregon, referenced below.

Being fully informed in the premises

This post skates over some pretty significant content that deserves more in-depth thought.  Do your homework.  Recommended reading includes:

  • Sole Proprietorship as a business structure choice, courtesy of the Small Business Administration.  While you’re on the SBA site, poke around.  There is a ton of great content here.  And don’t forget about the help and resources available from the Small Business Development Center.
  • Law Firm Choice of Entity, from the ABA Young Lawyers Division.
  • Choice of Entity for a Legal Practice in Oregon, available on the PLF website. Select Practice Management > Forms > Entity Formation for Lawyers.
  • Lawyers as PCs, LLCs, & LLPs in Oregon, available on the PLF website.  Select Practice Management > Forms > Entity Formation for Lawyers.
  • Tax Considerations for Choice of Business Entity, Chapter 3 of the OSB CLE Seminar Handbook Broadbrush Taxation: Tax Law for the Nonspecialist (2015). Available in BarBooks behind the member login on the OSB website.

Most importantly

Talk with a CPA.  I can’t say this enough.  This is one of the best investments you can make in getting your practice up and running.  A CPA can help you determine whether forming an entity will result in tax savings.  He or she can also help you select an entity type – which is highly driven by tax considerations.

You’ll also learn about property tax, business income tax, business licensing, and other obligations you may not be familiar with – all of which are determined by where your business is located.

All Rights Reserved 2017 Beverly Michaelis

Practical Advice for Virtual Law Offices

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Last week we discussed the ethical implications of WSBA Advisory Opinion 201601, “Ethical Practices of the Virtual Law Office.”  As the Committee on Professional Ethics noted, virtual practitioners must take care with supervision, confidentiality, avoiding misrepresentation, and conflicts of interest.  Understandable, but what exactly does that mean?  Here is some practical advice.

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Adequate supervision in a virtual workplace

In a virtual workplace lawyers and staff don’t work in proximity.  How do you ensure that remote workers receive “adequate supervision?”  The WSBA opinion mentions taking “additional measures,” but does not describe what those may be. Virtual employers should consider the following:

  1. Establish policies just as you would in a traditional office setting:  dedicated working hours when employees are expected to be within reach of their phones or computers; vacation allowance; sick leave policy; how you will measure performance; and so on.
  2. Create procedures for employees to follow.  Specifically, how will you distribute assignments and exchange completed work?  Technology is bound to be the solution, so see the discussion below about confidentiality.  Remember to address the “mundane” office tasks too: calendaring, accounting, conflict checking, etc.
  3. Require all remote workers to sign a confidentiality pledge or agreement.  The Professional Liability Fund has samples on its website.
  4. Get fully educated about legalities:  “In 2011, an Oregon appeals court found in favor of a J.C. Penney Co. Inc. home decorator who was injured after she tripped over her dog while working at home. Although the state workers’ compensation board had held her injuries were not work-related, the appeals court reversed, finding the employee had been working from her home as a term and condition of employment.”
    On-the-job injuries aren’t the only problem: be aware of Fair Labor Standards Act troubles, choice of jurisdiction, protecting proprietary information [forms bank, brief bank, customized practice management software], and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The list doesn’t end there.
  5. Talk to an employment lawyer about securing your right to inspect employees’ remote workplaces and monitoring employees’ use of technology.
  6. Don’t neglect the need for face time. Management experts recommend regular web meetings and occasional in-person meetings for an optimal virtual workplace.
  7. Revisit your ethical responsibilities as a supervisor in Oregon.

Confidentiality

Advisory Opinion 201601 revisits the ethical requirements for cloud computing and email communication, the gist of which is:

  • A lawyer may use online data storage systems to store and back up client confidential information as long as the lawyer takes reasonable care to ensure that the information will remain confidential and the information is secure from risk of loss.
  • Email communication with clients is allowed, except lawyers must warn clients if they believe there is a significant risk of third party access.

Oregon takes a similar stance on cloud computing:  “Lawyer may store client materials on a third-party server as long as Lawyer complies with the duties of competence and confidentiality to reasonably keep the client’s information secure within a given situation.” OSB Formal Opinion No. 2011-188 [Revised 2015.]  For more details, see this post.  See Also OSB Formal Opinion No. 2016-191, “Client Property: Electronic-Only or “Paperless” Client Documents and Files,” which includes a further discussion about electronic client files.

As to email, Oregon lawyers are forewarned to:

  1. Use proper security measures in cases where information is “particularly sensitive or subject to a confidentiality agreement.”
  2. Avoid email entirely if a client requests it.
  3. Scrub for metadata.

See “Safeguarding Client Information in a Digital World,” and “Competency: Disclosure of Metadata,” OSB Formal Opinion No. 2011-187 [Revised 2015].

No mention is made about a duty to warn clients of third party access where the lawyer believes there is a significant risk.  However, it would be foolish not to do so.  Consider the example mentioned in the WSBA opinion: where the lawyer knows her client is using an employer-provided email account.

We’ve discussed this issue before. Your email may not be protected by lawyer-client privilege if your client is reading it at work.  Before you begin communicating by email, take note of the client’s address.  Does the domain correlate to their place of employment?  Don’t use it!  Even if the address is @gmail.com or a similar web-based service, don’t assume your client only reads and prints email at home.  Have a discussion about where, when, and how your client reads your confidential communications and follow the other advice mentioned here.

Another quick word about using the cloud

Virtual practices could not exist without the cloud, a VPN, or some means of hosting and exchanging client information.  Beyond the basics of taking reasonable care to protect confidentiality, implement policies and procedures as described above.  Focus on security and steps to take when a virtual employee stops working for you.  Remote workers can put your law practice at risk if they upload or exchange content that contains malware or ransomware. A study commissioned by a security firm in the UK and Germany found:

  • One in four employees admitted breaking security policies.
  • Nearly two in five said either they, or someone they know, have lost or had stolen a device in a public place.
  • Three-quarters of these devices – such as laptops, mobile phones and USB sticks – contained work-related data, including confidential emails (37%), confidential files (34%) and customer data (21%).
  • Approximately one in ten lost financial data or access details such as login and password information, exposing even more confidential information to the risk of breach.

It is equally important to have a checklist for departing staff that ensures revocation of login credentials, return of workplace property, and disposition of ongoing email or voice communications directed to someone who no longer works for you.

Consider talking to an employment law attorney, or as a starter, see the Professional Liability Fund’s (PLF’s) Checklist for Departing Staff.

Duty to avoid misrepresentation

Advisory Opinion 201601 warns that lawyers may not imply the existence of a physical office or formal law firm where none exists. Therefore, unless you’ve arranged for ready access to meeting spaces or the ability to see clients on a drop-in basis, don’t imply those resources exist.  Posting or implying that you are part of a firm on your website, social media, or elsewhere is also a no-no.  (The same is true for office sharers, an example given in the ethics opinion.)

Avoiding conflicts of interest

Advisory Opinion 201601 points out that virtual offices must ensure that the conflicts checking system is equally accessible to all members of the practice, lawyers and staff, and that such access is reliably maintained.  This only makes sense.

Be sure to add your calendaring system, billing system, client matter records, and everything else you need to operate virtually as a law practice.  All of it must be equally accessible and reliably maintained.

Will the cloud be your savior when it comes to accessibility and reliability?  Probably, but it can’t help you with issues like when to run a conflict check, how to run a conflict check, or the need to circulate a new client list to everyone in the office.  As noted above, procedures will be key!  For help, contact a friendly practice management expert, like myself or one of the advisors at the PLF. While you’re on the PLF site, check out the many publications, practice aids, and forms that will assist you with establishing office protocols.

All Rights Reserved Beverly Michaelis 2017