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LMRC Online Tools• General Management

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April 2006Volume 4 • Issue 5

Greater Los Angeles Leadership Exchange • www.glaala.org April 20062

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BE THE RESOURCE OR KNOW WHERE TO FIND ONEby Wendy Sweet, CLM ...................................................................6

President’s Message

Page Directory

SEVEN MAXIMS THAT FACTOR IN THE HUMAN EQUATIONby Thalia Zetlin, MBA.................................................................12

The “Berdon” of Proof

RESIGNING EMPLOYEES AND SICK LEAVE POLICYby Jan Christensen ......................................................................10

Human Resource Challenges

YOU’VE GOT TO TRY IT!by Steven Jones ..............................................................................7

Editors’ Note

Publication Information ................................................... 5

Calendar ............................................................................. 8

SOS - Succeed Over Stress .............................................. 20

Board of Directors .................................................. 24 & 25

Vendor /Member Mixer Thank You ............................... 26

Member Information ...................................................... 30

Technology Tip ................................................................ 36

Office Leasing .................................................................. 38

Summer Nights Concert Schedule................................. 41

Vendor Spotlight ............................................................. 42

Wellness Zone .................................................................. 44

Monthly Features

Aflac .................................................................................. 28

CalToner ........................................................................... 40

City National Bank ........................................... Back Cover

Crowther Consulting Corp. ............................................ 17

Davidson Legal Staffing .................................................. 30

eFax Corporate................................................................. 31

ESP...The IT Candidate People ....................................... 32

HIRECounsel.................................................................... 13

HOK Interiors................................................................... 43

Hutchings Court Reporters............................................. 36

Innovative Computing Systems ..................................... 21

Legal Option Group......................................................... 19

Matura Farrington Staffing Services................................. 37

Merrill Corp...................................................................... 40

Osmio ............................................................................... 29

Overnite Express................................................................ 3

Pitney Bowes Legal Solutions......................................... 32

Profiles Personnel............................................................ 38

Praxis ................................................................................ 39

Providus............................................................................ 33

Robert Half Legal ............................................................... 2

Robert Millard Photography........................................... 28

Seamless Web................................................................... 47

Tra-Co Graphics............................................................... 11

Typecraft Wood & Jones .................................................. 40

United Document Storage................................................ 3

WAMS ............................................................................... 11

Vendor Partners

by John W. Olmstead, MBA Ph.D CMC. .....................................18

Exceptional Client Service In Law Firms

Photo Highlights from the Meeting ...........................................22

2006-2007 Board Cross-Over Meeting

by Joanne Jordan - Personnel Director ......................................28

Member Highlight

PARTING WORDS TO THE GLA ALA MEMBERSby Brian Robbins, CLM ...............................................................16

GLA ALA Chapter President (2005-2006)

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN FIND AT THE LEGALRESOURCE MANAGEMENT CENTER .......................14

Legal Management Resource Center

QUICK REFERENCE ONLINE TOOLS........................27


FORMS, TEMPLATES AND GUIDES ...........................35



Publication InfoLeadershipp Exchangeg

The monthly magazine of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the

Association of Legal AdministratorsCopyright © 2006—All Rights Reserved

www.glaala.org

Steven Jones, Managing EditorLister Martin & Thompson LLP

T: 818-551-6444 • F: [email protected]

Karen Wilson, Publication [email protected]

Michelle Liffman, Vendor LiaisonO’Melveny & Myers, LLP

T: 213-430-8353 • F: [email protected]

Tracy Dragoo, Layout & [email protected]

Typecraft Wood & Jones, PrintingT: 626-795-8093

The GREATER LR OS ANGELES LEADERSHIP

EXCHANGE is published monthly to provide

information for the education and benefit of legal

administrators, law office managers, managing

partners of law firms and of corporate law

departments, and others interested in law firm

management. The Greater Los Angeles Chapter

of the Association of Legal Administrators is

not engaged in rendering legal, financial or

tax counseling through this publication. No

statement in this monthly magazine should be

interpreted as legal, financial or tax advice.

Any article, letter or advertisement published

in The GREATER LR OS ANGELES LEADERSHIP

EXCHANGE should not be considered an

endorsement by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter

of the Association of Legal Administrators of the

opinions expressed therein or any product(s)

advertised. Contributing authors are requested

and expected to disclose financial and/or

professional interests and affiliations which may

influence their writing position. All advertising

is subject to approval by the Editor. Advertisers

assume liability for all content of advertisements

printed and assume responsibility for any claims

based upon subject matter.

Vendor Advertising InformationThe Leadership Exchange

Advertising in The Leadership ExchangeContact :

Elaine van Rensburg at g 310-826-0133 or [email protected]

Joanne Stillwagon at 213-896-3110 or [email protected]

Patricia Allen at 323-933-4100 [email protected]

All material must be supplied electronically on disk or sent via e-mail.Please send files to [email protected] (Maximum 9 Megabytes)

We prefer Macintosh-based files though will accept PC files created in Quark XPress 4, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator,

Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Prepare all files to standard printing specs (CMYK, 300dpi, embed fonts)

The Leadership Exchange Magazine is printed 4-color process on a estate-of-the-art Heidlberg press at 200lpi and utilizes

computer-to-plate technology.

Please call Tracy Dragoo for more details or questions — 626-487-0784

GLA ALA MISSION STATEMENTThe Association of Legal Administrators’ mission is to improve TT

the quality of management in legal services organizations; promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of

legal administrators and all members of the management team; and represent professional legal management and managers to

the legal community and to the community at large.


Greetings Friends! It is exciting to be writing my first President’s Message. Eight

years ago, when I joined the board, I hoped to one day hold this

position. It is hard to believe that it is already happening. Time

sure goes by quickly. Time has stretched my two sons from

tiny babes into tall, leggy young men. Time has added silver

(actually gray) strands to my head. It has also provided me the

opportunity to enter this dynamic field and learn its many facets.

To do this, I have taken advantage of many ALA resources. This

month’s magazine features an excellent resource available to

all of us as ALA members…the Legal Management Resource

Center (“LMRC”). The LMRC is “designed to immediately provide

the information you need or to quickly direct you to other

resources, most on the Internet, where the knowledge you seek

can be found.” It’s structured to help you find information about

legal management-related issues such as Facilities & Operations

Management, Financial Management, General Management,

Human Resources Management, Law Firm Marketing, Technology

& Information Systems, and Training & Development. The LMRC

is one of many resources I have used to be effective in my career. I

encourage you to take advantage of it if you haven’t yet done so.

Other resources which have proven invaluable are my ALA

and GLA peers. As the new board year begins and I embark upon

my journey through it in my new role, I must reflect on the past

year, thank those board members who are ending their tenure on

the board, and welcome returning members or those joining the

board for the first time.

Our immediate Past President, Brian Robbins, has been an

excellent leader and I am grateful to him for his strength,

consistency, friendship, and quiet wisdom. I am very fortunate to

have him on the board for one more year as my safety net. Luci

Hamilton has volunteered to extend her stay for one more year

and, for this, I am so very happy as Luci is a powerhouse of energy

and ideas. Susan Seales will be leaving the board after many years

of service. She is one of my professional role models and I admire

her. She will soon be on a 12 week sabbatical and I’m sure every

one of us envies her. Rosela Marin, one of my favorite people,

sadly will be leaving the board this year. Her enthusiasm, sharp

wit and good humor will be missed. Rosela once said something

to me that impacted me greatly. She e-mailed to ask me a fairly

odd question. Surprisingly, I knew of a possible solution and

Rosela proclaimed me to be her “internet of the ALA” because I

always knew the answer, knew where to find it, or knew someone

who did. What a compliment! I’ve never forgotten it. It wasn’t

until a few years later when Paul Hekimien of Overnite Express

gave me the book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make

a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell that I understood aboute

Connectors. I’m proud to be one (thanks Paul!).

Michael Steiner is now a beach bum in Hawaii. I’m so proud

of his new position at Carlsmith Ball but I will sorely miss his

friendship and guidance. Teresa Cherman will also be leaving

the board and it will be sad to lose such a powerful resource.

Fortunately, we’ve begged her to help peripherally with the

magazine, which we all really appreciate. A farewell also goes

to Kelly Shultz, whose caring nature and solid friendship will be

missed at our board meetings. Steven Jones will be tackling other

challenges and I personally thank him for taking over the chapter

magazine and preserving its excellent quality. He’s done a great

job with it over the last year. Angela Ungurean will be leaving

the board but also leaving a part of herself with us in the form

of a piece of her artwork which she has agreed to donate in the

chapter’s name to the silent auction at the National Conference in

Montreal. The proceeds raised will go to ALA’s foundation, FALA.

Special thanks to Ilona Ilona Reddick and Mary Holland for their

work this past year. I will miss you both. I wish all who will be

leaving the board the very best of luck. Thank you all for being my

resources this past year.

To fill the holes left by these departures we will be welcoming

a great number of new and returning faces to the board. They will

be joining a highly talented and fun group of remaining board

members. I am looking forward to working with each one and

am indebted to them for their commitment to the board and the

organization.

So…I ask you this: can you call yourself a resource or do you

know where to find them? If a resounding “yes” eludes you, then

I suggest that you stop and take a good look around.

Your greatest resources surround you – your ALA and GLA peers.

Get involved; get to know this intelligent, interesting group. You

will not regret it!

Wendy Sweet, [email protected]

BEBB THE RE ESOURCERR OR KR NOWKK WW HEREWW TO FO INDFF OD NEOO

President’s Message

Editors’ Note

So far, it’s been quiet in the office today. No IT problems,

employee issues or fulfilling attorney requests. The attorneys,

they’re all satisfied and busy working on files or attending

appearances. The employees, they are all present…busy working

and being productive. I think to myself, “it’s going to be a good

day.” “Now,” I thought, “should be a good time to write my final

editor’s note.” And suddenly it dawns on me… this is my last

publication as Managing Editor of The Leadership Exchange!

I smile when I think of the year that has passed so quickly. It’s

been quite a ride and an exciting adventure. That’s the way I look

at all my experiences in my life… an adventure, always welcoming

the good and learning lessons from the bad. Of course, and as

anyone would expect, I relish all the good experiences which

includes the fine people I have met in and associated with ALA

both locally and nationally, and the experiences and knowledge

that has enhanced my career. My good experiences also include

working with Tracy Dragoo, the chapter’s graphic designer, who

has been, without question, phenomenal in helping me produce

the chapter’s magazine (The Leadership Exchange). On behalf

of the chapter I commend Tracy on his integrity, perseverance

and unwavering support of GLA ALA. His natural talent for

graphic design, and his quest for excellence and are all greatly

appreciated. Thank you Mr. Dragoo for all that you have done,

including sacrificing your weekends and late nights for the sake of

the magazine and the chapter.

Another person that I have grown to admire has always

impressed me with his quiet but salient leadership style. His

attentiveness to individuals or a group of people is one in the

same – he listens quietly, carefully taking in all that a person says.

He returns with few words, but those words convey a wealth of

information and/or advice…Brian Robbins, GLA’s esteemed

president. His advice to me at the beginning of my tenure “…keep

it simple’ were the words which helped me on many occasions

not only in publishing the magazine but in my personal and

professional life.

I would also like to thank Brenda Blanchfield, Administrator

of Brownlee LLP in Alberta, Canada and Kimitra Robinson of

Morrison & Forrester LLP who have been instrumental in the

development of my employee relations skills, both on the attorney

and staff levels.

In addition, a person who I can only admire from afar is Erica

Tamblyn, Director of Administration of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley &

McCloy LLP and ALA Region 6 Director. She has the administrative

and leadership skills that I would pay dearly for. My quest this

year is making her my mentor…whether she wants me to be or

not. Yes, Erica, this year, lunch is on me.

This brings me to the end and my final note which speaks about

how I have benefited from the Association of Legal Administrators.

Imagine tasting one of your most delectable dishes – it could be

one of those sumptuously delicious chocolate cakes that forces

you to finish with a mix of unbridled joy and guilt-ridden tears;

or one of those pricey but well worth it mouth watering, premium

aged steaks that melts in your mouth and leaves you wanting for

more; and for you sushi lovers, one of the pieces from your favorite

chef which makes you close your eyes and let your senses take

over, savoring every bite of one of those delectably cut pieces. And

if it were me, I would say, “you’ve got to try this!” And that’s what I

have to say about the Association of Legal Administrators …you’ve

got to try it! No one has asked me to write these words and only !

through my experience with ALA can I say that involvement in

the association has progressed and enhanced my administrative

knowledge and leadership skills tremendously. The association is

there for you and now all you have to do is…You’ve got to try it!tt

April 2006April 2006 Greater Los Angeles Leadership Exchange • www.glaala.orgGreater Los Angeles Leadership Exchange • www.glaala.org 77

Steven Jones818-551-6444

[email protected]

YOU’VEVV GOT TT OTT TO RTT Y IT!TT

“ You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. ”

— Henry Ford


DATE EVENT TIME & LOCATION CONTACT

4 San Fernando Section MeetingMarie’s Italian Kitchen

16606 Ventura Blvd, Encino, 91436

Carolin [email protected]

818-784-6899

5 Board Meeting

5:00 pm – 9:00 pmBeverly Hills Country Club

3084 Motor Avenue (at Manning), Los Angeles, CA 90064

Wendy [email protected]

213-630-8232

11

Chapter Luncheon“Career Life-Cycles:

The Territory Ahead”Speaker: Marta Vago, Ph.D.

11:30-1:30Omni Hotel

251 S. Olvie StreetLos Angeles

Ken [email protected]

(213) 417-5366

12 Multi-Office Section Meeting

12:00 NoonMcDermott Will & Emery LLP

2049 Century Park East, 34th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Murray E. Heltzer [email protected]

310-551-9373

15 Magazine Articles and Ad Deadline for May Issue

20 Small Firm Section Meeting Downtown (TBA)Mary McDonnell

[email protected]

22 IT Section Meeing Downtown (TBA)Robert Santos

[email protected]

30ALA - Certified Legal Manager

(CLM) ExamLe Centre Sheraton, Montreal, PQ

Jan MarshallALA Headquarters

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE AND FUTURE EVENTS SEE WWW.GLAALA.ORG AND WWW.ALANET.ORG

April Calendar


Join ALA for the only international Conference dedicated to legal management professionals. The 35th AnnualEducational Conference and Exposition will continue theALA tradition of meaningful, useful and insightful Conferencespacked with opportunities for your professional developmentand personal growth. The Conference will help you continueto manage with maximum effectiveness by providing:

New Sessions on courant topics.

New Speakers sharing their expertise and experience.

New Events where you can enjoy and learn from your colleagues.

New Exposition to showcase up-to-the-minute products, technology and services.

Experience this Education Extraordinaire in Montréal, one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in North America.Easy to get to, easy to get around in, you’ll enjoy the specialevents that ALA is already planning.

Take this opportunity to rendez-vous with your colleagues and to invest in your professional and personal effectiveness.

Questions? Call ALA at (847) 267-1252, or visit www.alanet.org/conference for details.

The accent’s on éducation!

Rendez-vous

´


Human Resource Challenges

One of our secretaries has just submitted her two-week

resignation notice. She has been a troublemaker and complainer

ever since she was hired. I am confident that she will not get any

work done and will only create more morale problems during the

next two weeks. Do we have to suffer through the next two week or

can we let her go immediately?

The short answer is yes; the resigning employee can be

terminated immediately. Employers are not required to honor

a resignation notice period. However, employers may want to

consider the following related issues before making a decision on

termination.

Terminating employment prior to the end of the notice period

may turn a voluntary resignation into an involuntary termination

entitling the resigning employee to unemployment benefits. This

payment of unemployment could result in increased employer

unemployment insurance expense in the future.

Another element to consider is how the Employee Handbook

addresses the issue of employee resignation. Does the firm

encourage employees to provide the employer with notice before

resigning? Immediately terminating a resigning employee might

reinforce negative feeling toward the firm and discourage other

employees from giving the firm notice before walking out the

door.

Our main office revised the support staff sick leave policy

effective at the first of this year. One of our senior secretaries who

has been with us for many years refuses to sign the acknowledgment

for our 2006 Employee Handbook containing this policy revision.

She claims that she is entitled to continue under the same sick leave

policy the firm offered her when she was hired. Her attorneys do

not want to fire her. What can we do?

In general, new or revised policies and handbooks will apply

to all employees (absent an employment agreement) whether the

employees sign for it or not. The employer simply needs to ensure

that all employees receive the handbook or policy, tell employees

that it applies to them, and have a manager record these facts.

As to this specific question, this secretary will have to comply

with the revised policy whether she agrees with it or not. Along

with another manager, provide the employee the 2006 Handbook,

tell her the Handbook’s effective date and then document this

exchange including the signatures of the managers present.

This employee is clearly upset at the change of terms and

conditions in this new policy. Perhaps, she and other staff members

need the opportunity to have their positions heard regarding this

change. It is assumed that the firm’s Employee Handbook, or

other document provided to newly hired employees states that

the Firm has the right at any time to add, revise, or terminate

policies except the “at will employment policy” Given the number

of employment law changes which occur each year, clearly there

have been other updates or revisions to policies in effect when

this employee was hired. Managers listening, sharing the need

for policy flexibility in all organizations, and showing empathy for

the frustrations caused by change may help employees adapt to

changes and defuse employees’ unhappiness.

Before long our partners will be coming in wanting me to hire

their teenage children during the summer. In the past, staff has

been upset by extra work created to train partners’ children who

often took long lunches, came in late and left early. How do I

handle these partner requests to employ family members?

The short answer is - delicately. Employing partners’ children

is generally a morale issue and not an employment issue if

the “child” is over eighteen years of age. It is unlikely that the

entrepreneurial law firm partner can be convinced of nepotism’s

strong potential for negative impact in the office whether the

“child” is sixteen or thirty six. Eliminating the practice in small

to mid-size firms is probably unattainable. There are some

technicalities which need to be followed in hiring any minor.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA), the California Labor

Code and the Education Code all govern the employment of

minors in California. For minors under the age of 18 who

have not graduated from high school or obtained a “Proficiency

Certificate” work permits are required year-round even when

school is not in session. Failure to comply with the California

work permit requirement for minors under 18 years of age and

other violations of child labor law can result in criminal penalties

of up to six month in jail and/or civil fines and penalties ranging

from $500 to $10,000.

When deciding to employ a minor, the superintendent of

the school district where the minor attends should be contacted

by the employer to request the Statement of Intent to Employ

Minor and Request for Work Permit (Form B1-1) and the Permit

to Employ and Work (Form B1-4). While there are some limited

exceptions to the requirement for a Minor Work Permit, they

generally do not apply to work in a law office EVEN FOR FAMILY

RESIRR GII NINGG G ENN MPEE LPP OYEESYY AND SD ICKSS LEAVEVV PE OLOO ICY

Jan [email protected]


MEMBERS. Minimum wage and overtime laws apply to minors

under most circumstances.

Once the work permit and other new hire documents are obtained,

the law firm manager’s attention can focus on workplace morale.

Creative projects such as market research on local business growth

trends, analyzing the current client base, or sending matter-end

satisfaction questionnaires to current clients can keep the partners’

relatives busy with useful research which no one else has time to do

and also limit interaction with existing staff. Need to purge files for

storage or to index files to be sent to off-site storage? Typically, file

room staff will welcome assistance.

Partners’ family members who fail to comply with firm policies

applying to other staff members should be counseled about the

problems created by their actions. From a “political” standpoint,

if no improvements are seen then the parent should be given the

opportunity to correct the situation prior to taking the performance

issue to the managing partner or management committee.

The author is not engaged in rendering legal, financial or tax

counseling through this publication. No statement in this article

should be interpreted as legal, financial or tax advice.

Give Us A Call @ 626-915-4480www.traco-graphics.com • [email protected]

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(800) 421-7151 • www.wamsinc.comContact: Kevin Haight • [email protected](800) 421-7151 • www.wamsinc.comContact: Kevin Haight • [email protected](800) 421-7151 • www.wamsinc.comContact: Kevin Haight • [email protected](800) 421-7151 • www.wamsinc.comContact: Kevin Haight • [email protected]

The “Berdon” of Proof

Human emotion. It’s so basic that often we don’t recognize

what a strong motivating force it is in our lives. Yet in almost

everything we do, from choosing lunch to buying a car to selecting

a law firm, emotion plays a decisive role. Understanding this

can give you an enormous advantage in servicing clients and in

marketing to prospects.

To give you a framework that will help you understand how

and why emotions play so significant a role, I’ve detailed seven

maxims that I have developed or come across. They apply to any

situation — family, social, and, yes, even business — where you

are interacting with people.

Maxim 1: What’s In It For Me? (WIIFM)This is perhaps the single most important maxim in marketing.

Clients and prospects don’t care about how many diplomas

you have, a new technology upgrade or a fabulous new service

... unless you relate how it benefits them. Always answer the

question, “So what?” Your role is to help them realize why they

should care. To do this, you need to know enough about your

client or prospect to understand why and how they would benefit.

When working with clients and prospects, always think from their

perspective and keep WIIFM in mind. In fact, everything you do

should pass the WIIFM test.

Maxim 2: The More You Say, The Less They HearIt’s astounding. Time after time, professionals meet with a

prospect and go on and on about services and issues without any

knowledge of the prospect’s actual needs. This “cookie cutter”

approach throws away a face-to-face opportunity to learn what

the prospect’s issues and concerns really are. Only by gaining

this understanding can you know what to address in a way that is

more likely to trigger interest.

Statistics resoundingly bear this out. Most people comprehend

only about 25 percent of what you tell them. After a few days,

approximately 10 percent of what they comprehend or roughly

2.5 percent of the information imparted is retained. The person

you speak with usually has to talk with others before a decision is

made — which means he won’t have much to say. If that weren’t

enough, the more you talk before you know what the prospect

truly wants, the more you sound like you’re selling. And no one

likes to be sold. Prospects want to feel that it is their decision.

Asking questions is not as hard as it may seem since people

like to talk, particularly about themselves. They also tend to

like people who let them talk. And people buy from people they

like. So, talk a lot less, listen a lot more, and ask meaningful

questions.

Maxim 3: Appeal To The Heart And The HeadPeople make their decisions not only on an intellectual

level, but on an emotional level as well. Emotions motivate the

selection and logic justifies it. Think about the times you’ve

purchased a car. Most of us make a decision based on the look,

the lines, and how the car makes us feel. Then we support the

emotional reaction with functional and logical reasons for making

the purchase. While dicussing your expertise and capabilities

with a potential client, also give them a sense of what they can

expect in a relationship with you. Tell them about the people they

will work with, how fast you return calls, your availability — things

that give them a comfort level about the relationship. Consider

your leave-behinds such as C.V.s and brochures. In addition to

hard information, do they use graphics or photographs of clients

and partners interacting that appeal to the “heart”? Both play

important roles in decision-making.

Maxim 4: Eliminate Fear/Minimize RiskOccasionally you might lose an engagement to a larger or

more well known firm even though you could have delivered

exactly what the prospect was looking for in a more personalized

way and possibly at a lower cost. Why? People are instinctively

prone to making the safe choice. Have you ever been on a road

trip and needed a place to eat? You find a fast food place known

the world over and an unfamiliar restaurant right next door. For

you and for many prospects, the decision comes down to what is

feared the least — the safe choice.

So, how can this emotional challenge be overcome? One way

is by asking clients to relate the advantages they have enjoyed in

their relationship with your firm. Include these testimonials in

direct mail, newsletters, and on your website. They serve to give

prospects a comfort level that they are making the right choice.

Maxim 5: You’re Selling A RelationshipWhen you meet with potential clients, recognize that for the

most part, they cannot truly evaluate your firm’s skills beyond

some knowledge of you or the firm’s overall reputation. The

prospect can however evaluate your bedside manner. Think about

what goes through your mind when purchasing a major service.

SEVEN MAXIMS THAT FACTOR IN THE HUMAN EQUATION

Thalia Zetlin, [email protected]


continued on page 32


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Long-Range Financial Planning

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Profitability, Leverage & Related Topics

Retirement & Pension Planning

Revenue & Expenses

Tax Planning & Reporting

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• General Management

Client Relations & Development

Firm Culture

Firm Retreats

Global Relations & Business

Leadership Skills

Mergers, Acquisitions & Dissolutions

Multidisciplinary Practices & Ancillary Businesses

Practice Management

Private Firm – Corporate Legal Department Partnering

Professional Standards & Ethics

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ALA’s Legal Management Resource Center Answers are just a click away.

The LMRC is one of the prime resources youneed for the many responsibilities that makeup your role in legal management.

ALA’s unique online resource focuses specificallyon your profession. The information compiledin the LMRC is from hundreds of Web sites,associations, businesses, libraries and yourinquiries. Always timely, the LMRC is continuallyupdated and enriched to make the process offinding information more effective and efficientfor you and your staff.

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http://thesource.alanet.org


As President of the Los Angeles Chapter of Association of Legal

Administrators:

What did you enjoy most about your term?The people I met and worked with including members of

GLA ALA, ALA, members of other professional organizations, and

vendors.

What would you like to see continued with subsequent chapter presidents?

Continued institutionalization of chapter practices. The

Chapter is always balancing the needs of efficiency and continuity

with the desire to involve as many Chapter members as possible

– this is not an easy tradeoff. The Chapter is run by an all-

volunteer Board, which changes on an annual basis and each

year the Chapter builds upon the last as it adapts and tries new

and different things to better serve its constituents. A lot of time

and effort goes into the mechanical aspects of producing the

Chapters events and products leaving a smaller amount of time

available for new and creative endeavors. The more the Chapter

can institutionalize some practices the more time it can devote to

value added activities.

What would you have liked to accomplish during your tenure?

The 2005-2006 Board accomplished a huge amount in the last

12 months including the introduction of the vendor / members

Mixers, the Wine Tasting Trip, the 1st Annual Golf Tournament,

a new logo, a comprehensive survey of its members, and a new

website to name a few. This is on top of an already busy agenda

of luncheons, seminars, section meeting, a fabulous monthly

magazine, and an active community outreach program. I think

that is about as much as could be expected to be implemented

and digested in one year. Certainly there are more things the

Chapter could do and the Board has a long list of possible

initiatives to consider.

What do you believe was your most significant

accomplishment?

Let me answer by saying that I am most proud of the depth and

degree of involvement in Chapter activities by many members of

the Chapter. Each year, GLA ALA is reaching more and more of its

members and I am proud to have contributed to this momentum

in some way. GLA ALA is recognized by ALA headquarters,

other ALA chapters and even other professional organizations as

dynamic force and everyone should feel good about that.

What event or function was the most memorable?I’ll pick a few. The Wine Trip for its “out of the box” reach; the

“mixers” for continuing the effort to break down the Us vs. Them

walls between members and vendors; the golf tournament for just

having some fun with colleagues and friends.

What advice did you receive which helped you most during your tenure?

It’s not a particular piece of advice that comes to mind but

rather the very supportive and collaborative effort of the GLA ALA

Board that helped us all achieve more than we thought might be

possible.

What advice would you give to your successor and future candidates for president?

The presidency is work – it does take a lot of time and energy.

There are also a lot of “people issues” with a working Board of 30

volunteers. However, it is all worth it. I am definitely not the first

to say that you get out at least as much as what you put in, but I

am a believer.

In parting what would you like to say to the GLA ALA members?

I am not a joiner by nature and never contemplated running

this great chapter until just a couple of years ago. Invest in

yourself and in your career and get involved. GLA ALA members

are a terrific group of people.

Do you have a favorite quote?While not an admirer of his means, I do like the following

quote attributed to Niccolo Maciavelli as it speaks to what we, as

legal administrators face on a regular basis:

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous

to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in

the introduction of a new order of things.”

Brian Robbins, [email protected]

A FEWFF WW ORDSWW FS ROMFF OM UR PR ARTINPP GNN GLA ALL LA CLL HAPTERCC PR RESIDENTPP

GLA ALA Chapter President (2005-2006)

You have completed your telephone or mail client survey

campaign. Completed questionnaires are everywhere. Now what?

Somehow you must go from unprocessed questionnaires to

results that people can understand and digest.

The key focus of any client satisfaction survey study should be

on implementation of action items that can improve client service

and satisfaction. Data analysis and report writing should always

be pointed toward the development of specific action plans. Such

action plans should be specific and identify specific tasks to be

accomplished and individuals or groups responsible for task

completion with deadline/completion dates. A system should be

established to monitor progress of action plan implementation.

There is nothing worse than asking clients for feedback

and then doing nothing and not following up. The benefits of

gathering feedback can be negated if you do not follow through

on the results. Once your firm has taken the initiative to actively

invite feedback, you must take actions to correct at least some,

if not all, of the problem areas identified. Doing so is vital. You

must also act on business opportunities identified as well. Going

to the effort of gathering the information and then not doing

anything about the problems identified is not only a waste of

time and money but can also increase the likelihood that future

service improvement efforts will be viewed with skepticism. For

this reason, you must close the loop on the surveys you have

conducted by getting back to the people who provided you with

the feedback. Doing so benefits your relationship with your

clients because you not only confirm what they said but that you

are making changes accordingly.

Editing and Coding Survey DataNow it is time to get the questionnaires ready for data entry

and analysis. This is time-consuming work that needs to be done

in every survey involving more than a few questions, especially

when they are open-ended. The purpose of editing is to clean the

questionnaires to make sure that:

♦ Whoever enters the data into the computer will know

which marks are actually answers and which are

extraneous notes that someone might have made during

the survey.

♦ Responses that make no sense at all, outliners, are

eliminated.

♦ Correct interpretations are made about transposed

numbers, illegible responses, etc.

Coding the questionnaires means expressing in terms of

numbers all responses that will eventually be analyzed. Typically a

master list or codebook is used to keep track of all the codes used

in the survey, including the ones that appear on the questionnaire

and those that are added after data collection. For example:

5 Completely Satisfied

4 Mostly Satisfied

3 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied

2 Mostly Dissatisfied

1 Completely Dissatisfied

1 Yes

2 No

Once coding schemes have been developed each response is

assigned a numeric code, which is then entered into a database.

It is important that the responses fit the coding categories well,

have a minimal number of categories, be as mutually exclusive as

possible, and have few responses left over as “other responses.”

Missing data must also be handled properly. When data

analysis begins, it is important to be able to distinguish between

“zero,” “I don’t know,” and no response at all. For example, when

calculating an average, you don’t want to confuse “zero” with “I

don’t know.” Typically we reserve codes 99 for “not applicable”

and 98 for “don’t know” or “no opinion.” Almost all statistical

software can recognize missing value codes as those that should

be excluded from calculations.

Data EntryThe next step is to enter data from the questionnaires into a

dataset in a computer for statistical analysis. The exact procedure

will depend on the particular brand of software that you are using,

but the basic task is the same: You go through each questionnaire,

one at a time, typing in the responses in order. We use one Excel

spreadsheet to capture the coded responses and another Excel

spreadsheet to record the verbatim responses to all open-ended

questions. Data entry should be done twice into two datasets and

then compared and verified for accuracy.

Statistical AnalysisStatistical analysis should be done by a computer program

specifically done for that task (not a spreadsheet) – one that can

read the dataset and conduct comprehensive statistical analysis.

Appropriate programs are SPSS and SAS. We use SPSS and import

the dataset from Excel.

Typically you will use descriptive statistics to summarize and

describe your data. Initially you will examine data frequencies

– the number (count) and percentage of respondents giving each

John W. Olmstead, MBA Ph.D [email protected]

Exceptional Client Service In Law Firms


continued on page 34


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2006-2007 Board Cross-Over Meeting



ng tnngnngng tPassing the Torch!


Board of Directors 2006-2007

Programs Co-ChairSharise FalcoO’Melveny & Myers [email protected]

Programs Co-ChairViviane A. Abraham Eisner & [email protected]

Seminars Co-ChairTanya M. Russell Tyre Kamins Katz Granof & [email protected]

Seminars Co-ChairValeda MercierBingham McCutchen [email protected]

President Wendy Sweet, CLMJackson Lewis [email protected]

Immediate Past-PresidentBrian Robbins, CLMHunt, Ortmann, Blasco, Palffy & Rossell, [email protected]

Magazine EditorDebbie MogrenErvin, Cohen & Jessup LLP 310-281-6358, ext 261 [email protected]

CLM Program Co-ChairJanan Pitta, CLMVan Etten Suzumoto & Becket [email protected]

Education – Vice ChairMartha Bernard Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory [email protected]

President-Elect Michelle Liffman, PHR O’Melveny & [email protected]

Education - ChairMary McDonnellEntertainment PartnersLegal [email protected]

Programs Co-ChairKim Robinson Morrison & Foerster LLP213-892-5661 [email protected]

Vice President& IT Section ChairRobert F. Santos Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez [email protected]

Finance Section Group ChairG. Wayne Mitchell Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava & MacCuish [email protected]

Seminars Co-ChairRosanne CaruanaTroy & Gould [email protected]

SecretaryShaun Morrison Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory [email protected]

TreasurerTerri Wind Freeman, Freeman & Smiley, [email protected]

CLM Program Co-ChairJanet I. Krause, CLM Weinstock, Manion, Reisman, Shore & Neumann, [email protected]

Multi-Office SectionMurray HeltzerMcDermott, Will & Emery [email protected]

Ventura County/Santa Barbara SectionLauraRose TibbinRogers, Sheffield & Campbell, [email protected]

Web MasterChris KochheimWood Smith Henning & Berman [email protected]


Education – Vice ChairMartha Bernard Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory [email protected]

Seminars Co-ChairRosanne CaruanaTroy & Gould [email protected]

Region 6 Officers

Membership Co-ChairMaureen Varnes, CLMRodi, Pollock, Pettker, Galbraith & Cahill [email protected]

Job Referral ServicesJanet Shaw, CLMWickwire Gavin [email protected]

Community Relations Luci Hamilton 310-629-0206 [email protected]

Chapter HistorianW. James Van Dusen, CLMGursey, Schneider & Co. LLP 310-552-0960 [email protected]

Region 6 Communications OfficeDeborah Piker SandersRehon & Roberts, APC [email protected]

Region 6 Projects OfficerMark VerbeckenJeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP310-201-3565 E-mail: [email protected]

Region 6 Education OfficerAnne M. BurcellMorrison & Foerster, [email protected]

Region 6 Director Jeannie CaBellDorsey & Whitney, [email protected]

Human Resources Section Co-Chair Lydia TaveraHill Farrer & Burrill [email protected]

Membership Co-ChairNorma AyalaGipson Hoffman & [email protected]

San Fernando Valley SectionCarolin Eiliya Spile & Siegal, [email protected]

Inland Empire SectionPatsy HinojosaBest Best & Krieger, [email protected]

Membership Co-ChairSawsan SharifCity National Bank, Legal Services [email protected]

Hospitality Co-ChairErnie CasasIrell & Manella [email protected]

Hospitality Co-ChairKen SweetMorris Polich & Purdy [email protected]

Web MasterChris KochheimWood Smith Henning & Berman [email protected]

Vendor Liaison Co-ChairElaine Van RensburgShea Stokes & [email protected]

Vendor Liaison Co-ChairJoanne StillwagonAndrews Kurth, [email protected]

Vendor Liaison Co-ChairPatricia AllenAtkins & [email protected]

Membership Co-ChairErin WalshDickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky, [email protected]

Human Resources Section Co-Chair Kelly C. McGehee Reish Luftman Reicher & [email protected]

Corporate / Government Section Co-ChairIris SteinCity Attorney’s [email protected]

Corporate / Government Section Co-ChairBella Serrano Department of [email protected]

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of theAssociation of Legal Administrators

Would Like To Thank Our VendorsFor Your Support at Our Vendor/Member Mixer.

You Are GLA ALA’s “Pot of Gold”


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My main responsibilities are:Handling all aspects of recruiting, retention and policy issues

for non-attorney personnel.

The things I like best about being a personnel director are:Helping people work through their problems.

The thing I like least about being a personnel director is:Having to deal with situations where people’s jobs are on the

line.

A major issue facing personnel directors today is:Dealing with the multitude of laws in California.

To be successful, personnel directors have to:Keep up with their education and not be bashful about asking

others for their input.

The best advice I’ve received from a fellow personnel director was:

Whenever you have to let an employee go, they should never

be surprised. If you’ve laid your groundwork correctly, they may

not be happy about it but they won’t be surprised.

I think personnel directors are important to the legal industry because:

They act as the liaison between the management/attorneys

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understand and help with personnel and morale issues.

In the office I try to set an example by:Being professional in my appearance and actions at all times.

If I weren’t a personnel director I would like to be:A landscape artist.

In my spare time I like to:Work in my garden.

I joined ALA because:I thought it would be a great place to network with others in

the legal profession.

I use my membership in ALA by:Participating in HR Section meetings (when I can), using the

e-mail network when questions arise and keeping abreast of

educational opportunities.

Three words that best describe me:Honest, hardworking and funny.

The last good book I read was:Shifting.

The last good movie I saw was:Crash.

My plans for the next ten years include:Getting my son through college and off to a good start at life

and being able to do the same with my daughter.

Joanne Jordan213) 629-7752 [email protected]

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Retired? Retiring Soon? Contact Maureen Varnes, Erin Walsh or Norma Ayala …there are some continuing ALA benefits of which you may not be aware.

Where Are You Now?Has your contact information changed?

Call or e-mail Maureen Varnes [email protected]

Erin Walsh [email protected]

Norma Ayala [email protected]

and remember to notify National at www.alanet.org

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The “Berdon” of Proof (continued from page 12)

Personal likes and dislikes and feelings of trust and confidence all

come into play. Your goal is to lead the prospect into understanding

the overall value that will be derived by having your firm on the team

— the value of the relationship. Demonstrate that you care about

them. Have empathy for issues they may face. Your feelings must be

genuine, because insincerity will eventually be detected. The fact is,

clients and prospects are seeking someone to turn to and rely on.

They want to have someone at their side who is looking out for their

interests.

Maxim 6: Deliver The PromiseWhen clients hire you, they base their decision on a promise that

you will deliver what you claim. In professional services, the provider

and the service are inseparable. If you’ve ever had an unpleasant

experience at a hairstylist, you’ll understand how inseparable they

are. The challenge is to consistently deliver on that promise. This

can be accomplished in a number of ways. Use CLE wisely and

select courses that raise the bar for the technical excellence of

partners and associates. Step beyond CLE and include business

development training and networking work-shops. Participate in

programs that emphasize the importance and value of persona, of

projecting confidence and polish, and of interacting comfortably

and effectively with people.

Maxim 7: Speak With One VoiceImagine a play in which the characters speak with a variety of

accents and the scenery is from different periods in history. It would

be confusing. Yet this is an image that many firms convey when they

fail to present a consistent “voice” to the world. To make sure that

your firm maintains a consistent voice, recognize that it manifests

itself in many ways:

♣ Your look: This includes logo, stationery, website,

newsletters, brochures, and PowerPoint presentations.

♣ Your sound: In communicating with the outside world,

establish and adhere to certain standards. Make sure that

professionals don’t expound too much on themselves and avoid

stilted language and technical lingo while holding to the WIIFM rule

of Maxim 1.

♣ Communicate Internally: Intentionally or unintentionally

harboring information that should be shared with others

is counterproductive for the whole firm. It impacts individual,

departmental, and firm planning and performance and strains

relationships within the organization. Good internal communication

is a vital part of a cohesive firm.

♣ Teamwork: The benefits of teamwork are immeasurable.

You learn more about the capabilities of colleagues and the resources

you can access, build stronger relationships within the firm, and

enhance the overall sense of camaraderie. Team-work enables you

to capture more client and prospect information. Clients enjoy the

benefits of your pooled knowledge and cross-selling is facilitated.

It’s likely that nearly every day you’ll encounter situations where

one or more of these maxims should be applied. They are that

basic to our lives. We all know this intuitively but often disregard

it in business situations. Emotions, however, play too important a

role in decision-making to be ignored. By harnessing the power of

these seven maxims, you’ll gain deeper insights into the needs and

aspirations of your clients and prospects. In doing so, you’ll build

stronger, richer, and more lasting relationships.

About the Author: Thalia Zetlin, MBA, is a Principal and Chief

Marketing Officer for “Berdon” LLP one of the nation’s top 25 CPA and

advisory firms headquartered in New York City.

Litigation Support including e-Discovery, Imaging/OCR, Coding

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Contact: John Saliamonas Phone: 213-438-7236E-mail: [email protected]

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Pitney Bowes Legal SolutionsYour Single Source for Expert Legal Support Services


answer to each question. After this examination you may need

to go deeper and use other descriptive statistics – but only after

having a complete understanding of whether you are working with

continuous or categorical data.

Descriptive statistics used in typical client satisfaction surveys,

depending whether examining a single variable (question) by itself

or in relation to another variable, include counts, percentages,

mean, median, mode, standard deviation, correlations, and chi-

square. Bar graphs, pie charts, pivot tables, and cross-tabs tables are

typically used for categorical data and histograms, pivot tables, and

other graphs, are used for continuous data. Inferential statistics are

used less frequently.

As you analyze your data keep in mind the following tips:TIP #1: Know the characteristics of your data and whether

you are using the right statistics and graphs to describe the data.

TIP #2: Know when a study is so flawed that it is totally

worthless.

TIP #3: Do the findings make sense?

TIP #4: Has your survey avoided coverage, sampling,

measurement, and non-response errors? Non-response error, which

is a major problem, occurs when a significant number of people

in the survey sample do not respond to the questionnaire and are

different from those who do in a way that impacts the accuracy of

the study. Low response rates serve as a warning that non-response

error might be a problem. Depending on who is surveyed and what

method is used, anything under 60-70 percent should be a red flag.

TIP #5: Telephone surveys yield much higher response rates

than mailed surveys.

TIP #6: Look for results that matter and look for information

that you need to know to initiate changes in your client service

practices.

It is important that the firm undertake the appropriate analysis

to answer the questions that motivated the study in the first place.

Reporting Survey ResultsThe final report should be easy to read, understood, and answer

the questions that prompted the study. It should discuss implications

of the findings and should present information that can be acted

upon. Variables (questions) that tell the story should be identified,

reported, and included in graphs and tables to summarize findings.

A typical report should include the following sections:

♦ Executive Summary

♦ Background

♦ Methodology

♦ Summary of Survey Results

♦ Detail Survey Results (Graphs and Tables)

♦ Detail Survey Results (Selected Verbatim Quotes) An Appendix

including verbatim commentary from telephone surveys or

open-ended questions on mail surveys is also typically

included.

♦ Areas Where Attention Is Needed

In addition to a written report, our firm typically provides the

following deliverables as well:

♦ The report in MS Word

♦ The report in MS PowerPoint.

♦ An Excel file of the raw dataset and the SPSS dataset if

requested.

♦ An Excel file of the verbatim commentary or open-ended

responses.

It is important that the survey findings be presented in person to

members of the firm, which should be an interactive session during

which the implications are discussed at length.

Client Service Improvement PlanAs I said earlier in this article - there is nothing worse than asking

clients for feedback and then doing nothing and not following up.

The benefits of gathering feedback can be negated if you do not

follow through on the results. A client service improvement must be

developed and implemented. Details concerning development of

such a plan will be discussed in the next article in this series.

About the Author: John W. Olmstead, Jr., MBA, Ph.D., CMC, is a

Certified Management Consultant and the president of Olmstead

& Associates, Legal Management Consultants, based in St. Louis,

Missouri. The firm provides practice management, marketing, and

technology consulting services to law and other professional service

firms to help change and reinvent their practices.

The firm helps law firms implement client service improvement

programs consisting of client satisfaction surveys, program

development, and training and coaching programs. Their coaching

program provides attorneys and staff with one-on-one coaching

to help them get “unstuck” and move forward, reinventing both

themselves and their law practice.

Founded in 1984, Olmstead & Associates serves clients across

the United States ranging in size from 100 professionals to firms

with solo practitioners. Dr. Olmstead is the Editor-in-Chief of “The

Lawyers Competitive Edge: The Journal of Law Office Economics and

Management,” published by West Group. He also serves as a member

of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Research Committee. Dr.

Olmstead may be contacted via e-mail at jolmstead@olmsteadassoc.

com. Additional articles and information is available at the firm’s

web site: www.olmsteadassoc.com

© Olmstead & Associates, 2005. All rights reserved.

Exceptional Client Service In Law Firms (continued from page 26)


A Summary of the Building Owners and Managers

Association (BOMA) Guidelines

Equipment and Supply Checklist

Forms to Dissolve an LLC

Office Space Calculator

Office Space Planning Checklist


Attorney/Staff Expense Report

Fee Revenue Budget Worksheet

Paralegal/Associate Profitability Worksheet

• General Management

A Managing Partner’s Checklist

Applied Strategic Planning: How to Develop a Plan that

Really works

Checklist for Attorney Withdrawal: An Administrator’s

Guide to Managing the Withdrawal Process

Dissolution: The Administrator’s Role in Closing a Law

Practice

How Effective Law Firm Leadership Practices Can Help

You Acquire and Keep Your Clients

In Mergers and Acquisitions You Only Get Once Chance

to Make a First Impression

Is This Merger a Good Idea?

Maintaining Collegiality and Accountability Among

Partners

Multidisciplinary Practice

Practice Management and Profitability

Risk Management: Key to Avoiding Pitfalls

Secrets of My Succession

Strategic Self-Assessment

Strategies for Planning a Retreat

The Of Counsel Agreement: A Guide for Law Firm and

Practitioner

When to Say No: 10 Ways to Select and Reject a Client

Your Leadership Report Card – How Do You Stack Up?


A Sample Employee Survey

A Sample New-Hire Survey

Associate Evaluation Form

Associate Questionnaire

Employee Benefits

Firm Policy – “Business Casual Dress Code”

Forms Portfolio

Legal Secretary Appraisal

The Cost of Turnover


Site Building: A Blunder-Proofing Checklist

Web Site Design Basics: A Checklist

Forms, Templates & Guides



Technology TipDodie EdelsteinLegal Information Systems Training • [email protected] • www.aboutlist.com

WRANWW GLNN ING WNN ORDWW ’S’ FS IEFF LEE D CD ODESCC

What are Field Codes?Field codes are placeholders that change based on infor-

mation within your document or other documents. An

example of a field code that you may use every day is the Date

Code that appears in your letters or fax cover sheets. This code

always displays the current date so you don’t have to remem-

ber to change it. Another useful place for field codes deals

with discovery numbering, so that “Interrogatory No. 1” and

“Response to Interrogatory No. 1” update for each new inter-

rogatory inserted. A Table of Contents generated with Word’s

outline styles is another example of a Field Code.

How do I spot a Field Code?Field codes are usually grey when you click on them, but

a setting is available for you to display them in three different

ways: (1) Never, (2) only when you select them or have your

cursor in them, or (3) Always. This setting is found under

Tools, Options, View, Field Shading in the drop-down box. It’s

more advantageous to have your fields set to “Always” view so

that you do not have to have the cursor on a field in order to

see that it is a code and not plain text.

Can I Update a Field?When your document contains field codes, Word always

updates those codes automatically the next time that the

document is opened. But if you want to update a field while

you’re still in the document you can. Simply select the field

first, then press F9 to update it. (As an alternate method, you

can right-click in any field and choose “Update Field.”)

Changing a Field Code to Text (Unlinking Fields)Sometimes there are instances where you want to turn an

entire field code into text. Let’s say you’re trying to get a Table

of Contents out the door (or a Table of Authorities in a big

rush) and you don’t want it to update because of some under-

lying problems in your document. You just need to manually

“fix” it. Here’s how:

1. Click in the field code

2. ress CTRL + SHIFT + F9 (the entire code becomes

highlighted)

3. Click outside the field code

Now the code has changed to plain text that can be

edited.

NOTE: There’s no magical keystroke to get the text back into

a field code without reinserting it as the actual field code.

This can be a great way of turning an updating date into the

current date and have it stick, or turning cross-references into

plain text if you’re cutting and pasting into other documents

that don’t have the same cross references.

Dodie Edelstein is the owner of Legal Information

Systems Training (LIST), which specializes in help-

ing you get the most from the software you have.

She provides customized legal-specific training and

support services for document processing, e-mail and docu-

ment management software. Dodie can be reached through E-

Mail at [email protected], by telephone at 707-776-4695

and on her web page at www.aboutlist.com.

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www.maturafarrington.com

If he’d found her through Matura Farrington,she’d have shown up.

Did your new employee get “cold feet?”

Employees and employers have a lot in common with brides and grooms. The interview process, like dating, can be full of promises, high expectations, and wishful thinking. You’ve been there… after a lengthy search and interview process, you and the candidate thought you were a perfect “match.”When you made the offer, she ran!

Maybe it’s not that you chose the wrong employee. Maybe you chose the wrong agency.

At Matura Farrington, we match employers and employees for the right reasons, not just for fees. We evaluate our candidates not only on their skills, but also for their reason for seeking a new job in the first place. That’s why we have a 10-year track record of solid placements that benefit everyone.

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We match employers with employees to form successful work relationships


Have you ever had to upgrade computer software or done

something else regarding your computer that required you to call

customer support for help? Did it take much longer than you

expected to get the help you needed?

I recently upgraded some computer software. I expected that

I would need to call customer support a few times and that the

whole process would end up taking several hours (too long, but

typical). Around 30 hours later, I was finished. During that 30

hours, I:

• Made about a dozen phone calls to customer support;

• Rebooted my computer countless times; and

• Discovered that my non-ergonomic chair could cause me

to lose circulation in my legs, causing them to ache and

causing me to sweat a lot.

How does the above relate to office leasing? When tenants

decide to extend their lease or relocate can be an excellent time

to evaluate whether their office furniture and equipment are

helping to maximize their organization’s performance. Chairs

and computers are two examples.

An ergonomic chair is not inexpensive (a good one can cost

about $1,000). However, let’s take the case of a worker who bills

at a rate of $350 per hour. If that person works just an extra three

hours a year, that new chair is paid for. If the chair helps him/her

work an extra 12 minutes per day, and this amounts to an extra 50

billable hours per year, at $350 per hour that equates to $17,500

per year. If the chair lasts for 10 years, this could possibly amount

to an extra $175,000 billed in exchange for a chair that originally

cost $1,000. What a fantastic return on investment!

Computers are expensive, but if a faster computer can enable

a worker to increase productivity by just 5%, in a 2,000 hour year,

this could equate to 100 hours. At a billing rate of $350 per hour,

you’re talking about $35,000 a year, which would not only pay for

the faster computer, but there would be profit left over for other

expenses.

I have tested various ergonomic chairs and hope to have

a new one within days. I also plan to purchase a much faster

computer. Does it excite you to think that life at work can be more

comfortable, more productive, and more profitable? It certainly

excites me!

When it’s time to extend your lease or relocate can be an

excellent time to evaluate whether your office furniture and

equipment is maximizing your organization’s performance. If you

can make the organization for which you work more comfortable,

productive and profitable, perhaps it will help promote your own

career.

For more Information or Help:pWhen it’s time to renew or relocate, do you want help doing

the above and other tasks that need to be done?

Do you want more information?

Do you want to receive a monthly e-mail Newsletter regarding

the latest that is going on in the Downtown Los Angeles Office

Leasing Market?

If so, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call me at

(213) 949-4824.

About the Author: Scot McBeath is a Commercial Real Estate

Broker and runs his own business – Scot McBeath Realty. He

specializes in representing Office Tenants in Downtown Los Angeles

and surrounding areas. He has been professionally engaged in

negotiating transactions and managing projects since 1982, and

he has a BS and an MBA.

DO YOU WU ANTWW MT ORE CE OMFORTCC , STT PEEDSS AND MD ONEY?

Scot [email protected]

Office Leasing


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Translations

For more information, contact Tim Sheehan, Account Executive949-622-0650 or visit merrillcorp.com/law

Merrill helps you find a way in Southern California.

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M E R R I L L C O R P O R A T I O N


L.A. Spring/Summer Nights Concert Schedule

Fri, Apr 21 Bach, Rock & Shakespeare III

Sat, Apr 22 Benise

Sat, May 27 WAR / Tierra featuring Rudy & Steve Salas (The Salas Brothers Reunion) / Thee Midniters plus special guests Little Willie G / Malo

Sat, Jun 10 70’s Soul Jam Featuring The Stylistics / The Spinners / Chi Lites / Rose Royce, Cuba Gooding Sr. and the Main Ingredi-ent, Brenton Wood and Guest Host Jimmie “JJ” Walker

Tue, Jun 13 Chicago / Huey Lewis and the News

Fri, Jun 16 INXS

Fri, Jun 23 Martina McBride plus special guests The Warren Brothers

Sat, Jun 24 Fiona Apple plus special guest Damien Rice

Tue, Jun 27 IL Divo

Sun. Apr 1685th Anniversary of the Easter Sunrise Service at the Hollywood Bowl

Sun. Apr 16Bel Air Presbyterian Easter Service

Fri. Jun 2A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

Fri. Jun 23Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl

Artists: Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; John Mauceri, conductor; Carlos Santana, Hall of Fame inductee; André Watts, Hall of Fame inductee; Blue Man Group, special guests

Sat. Jun 24Mariachi USA Festival

Sun. Jun 25Sergio Mendes’ 40th Anniversary of Brasil ‘66: A Timeless Celebration

Artists: Sergio Mendes Marcelo D2, special guest; Maogani Quartet, special guests; India.Arie, special guest; Raul Campos, host

04.15 Paquita La Del Barrio

04.20 David Gilmour

04.21 VH1 Soul presents Anthony Hamilton with Heather Headley

04.22 The Wiggles Live

04.22 The Wiggles Live

04.27 Kid Rock

04.30 Tata

05.06 R. Kelly

05.19 Kumbia Kings

05.20 VH1 Classic Presents The New Cars & Blondie: Road Rage Tour 2006 Let The Good Times Roll... Again!

April - May - June

The Greek TheatreThe Greek Theatre

Hollywood BowlHollywood Bowl

Gibson AmphitheatreGibson Amphitheatre

L.A. Spring/Summer Nights Concert Schedule


CONTACT INFOMeredith WollmanDirector of Marketing9530 Jefferson Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

p- 310-845-1348

f- 310.838.9586

[email protected]

BIOMeredith joined HOK in November, 2005 with over 18 years

of diverse and challenging professional experiences ranging

from sales and marketing to program management to account

services for companies such as CB Richard Ellis, Axiom Design,

Beverly Glen Medical Systems, and American Home Credit. She

brings this broad business perspective combined with a dynamic

leadership ability to her position as Director of Marketing at

HOK’s Los Angeles Office. With HOK’s innovative approach to

architecture and design, Meredith is helping to create workplace

solutions for her clients in the legal profession and other industries

that promote efficiency, enhance communication, and increase

productivity.

COMPANY PROFILEHOK, a design practice with offices worldwide, creates

workplace environments that respond to the business needs of

today’s law firms. Based on current benchmarking trends, our

innovative, cost-effective workplace solutions reduce occupancy

costs, leverage technology, promote recruitment and retention,

enhance a firm’s image, and provide flexible office environments.

Like organizations in every industry, law firms are looking

for ways to work faster, better, and smarter. Innovative space

planning and design can help. Great interior design isn’t just an

aesthetic façade – a well-designed workplace acts as a tool to

enhance communication and productivity. It helps companies

achieve their goals.

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s largest, best-managed

interior design practices, HOK offers a complete range of services

for the planning, design, and delivery of interior environments.

We help clients strategize about and plan their space, design the

space, deliver the space on time and within budget, and then

manage that space over time.

We participate in stand-alone assignments in which clients

choose from our diverse menu of interiors services or full-service

projects in which HOK designs both the building’s shell and core

architecture and all the interior spaces.

Great interior design isn’t just “handsome.” HOK designs

attractive interior environments built around the latest ideas

about how people interact.

HOK’s interiors services include:

• Space planning

• Interior design

• Workplace strategies

• Programming

• Furniture and interior finishes selection

• Brand integration

• Pre-lease services

• Feasibility studies

All HOK’s solutions are designed to support our clients’ goals.

Rather than expressing a signature style, we design space that

solves the clients’ problems and creates an image appropriate for

each client.

HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning,

design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities.

Through its collaborative network of 24 offices worldwide,

the firm serves diverse clients within the corporate, commercial,

public and institutional markets. HOK is committed to developing

resources and expertise to help lead the world toward sustainable

communities and building environments. Founded in 1955,

the firm’s expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors,

planning, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment,

and construction services.

Visit us at www.hok.com.

What do you believe is the most important component of the vendor-client relationship?

The vendor must always put the needs of the client first, and

HOK has been doing exactly that for over 50 years. We deliver

quality design products and intelligent services that enable our

clients to achieve their goals and enrich their lives.

What characteristic do you possess that helps you to be successful?

I consider my clients to be my partners. Rather than

presume I know what’s best for them, I really listen to what they

have to say and ask questions to learn more. My job is to make

sure that my partners have and know everything they need to be

successful. When they win, I win.

What makes HOK awesome?HOK is genuinely committed to improving people’s lives

through design. We view each project as a unique undertaking

and, with the resources and experience available to us as one of

the world’s leading firms, a new opportunity to create something

extraordinary. It’s an exciting company to be a part of.

Up Close & Personal with. . .

VVVV ightghtendor Spotliendor Spotligenenndodor llSpotliS ttpp iippooooppooSpSSpSpotltlilighghhhggighghtttVVVVVVV

InteriorsExperts in Law Firm Design


InteriorsExperts in Law Firm Design

HOK9530 Jefferson Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232

phone: 310.838.9555 web: www.hok.com www.hokinteriors.com

Jones, Day, Reavis & PogueGibson , Dunn & Crutcher Littler Mendelson

Alschuler, Grossman, Stein & Kahan


With all the nutrition misinformation available today, it can

be tricky to know what’s actually true and what’s false. The

misinformation can make it especially challenging if you’re

trying to lose weight or eat healthfully. To help you separate myth

from truth, read these insights from Milton Stokes, RD, nutrition

write and managing partner of Culinary Nutrition Consultants

Inc. in New York City.

1. MYTH: All Fat should be banned from the diet. FACT: Fat is an essential nutrient for good health.

Among other roles, it is used by the body to maintain proper

temperature, protect vital organs, constitute cell membranes

and produce hormone-like effects. In addition, fat is a dense

energy source that helps you feel satisfied for longer periods of

time (essential for dieters!). It is also vital for absorption of other

essential nutrients.

That said, you should monitor the type and amount of fat

in your diet. Studies have found that unsaturated fatty acids,

like those in a mostly plant-based diet, may offer cardiovascular

protection and prevent chronic disease. However, research has

also shown the importance of limiting saturated and trans fat to

reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Varying your overall food intake is the best way to get adequate

amounts of healthy fats. “I recommend using a dab of extra-virgin

olive oil with bread, instead of butter or margarine,” says Rebecca

Wright, MS, RD, LD, a clinical dietician in Murray Kentucky.

She also suggests limiting the “bad” fats (meaning saturated and

trans fats) and replacing them with nuts, seeds and healthy oils,

such as canola and olive. How much fat is healthy? The American

Heart Association recommends that your daily intake of fat

should be around 30% of total calories.

2. MYTH: Carbohydrates wreck diets. FACT: A diet rich in carbohydrates – particularly high fiber items, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains – is essential.

Carbs are the body’s ideal fuel source, and getting adequate

amounts ensures sufficient energy for daily physical activity,

metabolic functions and repair. People who avoid carbs while

dieting need to resort to an alternate, less-efficient energy

source.

“It’s best to aim for 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates

for optimal health,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, LD, author

of Your Diet is Driving Me Crazy (Marlowe & Co. 2004). Limiting

carbs often results in poor endurance, headaches, muscle tissue

breakdown and dehydration, she explains.

3. MYTH: To burn fat, it’s best to exercise on an empty stomach. FACT: Wrong.

“An empty stomach is likely to cause you to fatigue more

quickly when working out,” notes Jenna Bell-Wilson, PhD, RD,

LD, IDEA contributing editor and assistant professor in medical

dietetics at Ohio State University. Becoming tired too soon can

result in a suboptimal workout.

If you head straight for the gym before eating breakfast, this

strategy can compromise your ability to work out at your optimal

performance level. A better plan is first to eat a quick breakfast

meal or snack that contains both protein and carbohydrates, such

as whole-grain cereal topped with low-fat milk.

4. MYTH: Eating after 6:00 pm makes you gain weight. FACT: No.

“There is no magic hour at which everything suddenly turns

to body fat.” Advises Ellie Krieger, MS, RD, a New York City based

dietician and author of Small Changes, Big Results (Clarkson

Potter 2005). She says nothing is wrong with having a light supper

or snack at night as long as you don’t overindulge by eating more

than your recommended daily calorie allowance.

However, many people eat too much in the evenings

during sedentary activities like watching television. Make sure

you are eating in response to true hunger and not for another

reason, like boredom or loneliness.

Courtesy of Judy Hissong, CLM and ACE certified personal

trainer. Reprinted with permission from IDEA Health and Fitness,

Inc., the leading international membership association in the

health and fitness industry

CORRECTINCC G CNN OMMONCC DN IETDD MYT THSYY

Wellness ZoneJudy Hissong, CLM

[email protected]


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Steven -

We couldn’t let you slide out of the Editor’s role without a big

“Thank You !”. Only you (and prior Editors) really know what goes

into producing this terrific magazine month after month. No

doubt it is a lot of work. However, it must also be a labor of love

when one sees the great results. In a very brief period of time

you were able take ownership of the magazine, introduce some

innovations and impart your personal style. In true GLA ALA

style you have raised the bar while providing a smooth transition

for Debbie Mogren, the Chapter’s new Editor.

Thank you.

My best to you my friend.

I would like to begin by saying “Thank you Steven” for a year

of many great stories and overall success with The Leadership

Exchange, not to mention some healthy competition out on the

course. You accepted the challenge of a very difficult position

on the GLAALA Board, despite being apprehensive about the

position. You jumped in with both feet, improved on personal

goals, survived both the task AND “dealing with me”.

Over the course of the last year I feel that we have developed

a good working relationship and most of all, “a friendship”—I am

thankful for this! I’ve had a blast ribbing you about choices, but

you came back just as strong! Some of your Editors Notes were

very interesting and indeed reflected your love of life.

You did a great job Steven! I’ve had a lot of fun. Oh! One more

thing…

“YOU’RE ALL MINE, NEXT TIME OUT ON THE GREENS”!!!

With warm regards,

Tracy Dragoo

A letter To The Parting EditorTracy Dragoo626-915-4480

[email protected]

Brian Robbins, [email protected]


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