Eagerly anticipated and long awaited - but wait no more, it’s here. Reid Trautz’ famous Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers has been released for 2008. Enjoy!

Reid My Blog!: 2008 Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers

It’s confirmed - Rees Morrison’s guru status has extended from Law Department Management issues to weight loss. In a recent post on his blog he details a “neat” way to shed some pounds without really breaking a sweat. Perfect advice as we all prepare to gorge ourselves silly in a few days. And for those who bet against this blog ever using the word “thermogenesis”, you lost - pay up.

Law Department Management: Lawyers can drop pounds at work through thermogenesis

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to Rees’ blog while you’re there - it’s a veritable smorgasbord of law department management news, tips and practice pointers.

InsideCounsel presents 20 stories that the in-house bar could not ignore.

The Year in Review

The volatile stock market and struggling economy have intersected at various points that have significantly affected attorneys in private practice and corporations. This has triggered a fusillade of questions, a few of which include: “What can I do to protect myself in this environment?” “How do I know if my firm or company is any better off than another?” “Should I be looking for another job and, if so, is this the best or worst time to do that?”

Protecting Yourself From and Surviving In-House Cuts

For GCs, an important strategy for getting their work done within their corporate legal department budgets is to be able to pick and choose from a variety of sizes and types of law firms, from boutiques to giants. So, they’re watching law firm merger developments with cautious concern. Many in-house lawyers fear that mergers, like the recent one between Powell Goldstein and Bryan Cave, will place increased pressures on hourly rates and minimum requirements at the new, larger firms.

GCs Worry About Law Firm Mergers

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) announced its new chair and directors. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. The ACC is an incredible place for in-house counsel to learn more about issues facing corporate legal departments and is also a great way to network with other. The ACC’s events and publications are first-rate and, best of all, membership is inexpensive. If you are not a member, you should join today.

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) swore in its newly elected Chair and members to its Board of Directors at its 2008 Annual Meeting in Seattle on October 19, 2008. The newly elected members will meet throughout the year to review and discuss issues of importance to the Association and those matters affecting its members. Ivan Fong, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, Cardinal Health, Inc., will serve as Chair of ACC’s Board of Directors and the newly elected members, serving a three-year term unless otherwise noted, include: Elisa D. Garcia C., Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Office Depot, Inc.; Jeffrey W. Carr, Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, FMC Technologies, Inc.; Vincent M. Gonzales, Senior Counsel, Sempra Energy; Eric D. Reicin, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Sallie Mae, Inc.; Bradford L. Smith, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation; and Danette Wineberg, Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, The Timberland Company.

The Association of Corporate Counsel Announces New Chair and Six New Members to Its Board of Directors

What impact does a slow economy have on the amount of work corporate law departments send to outside firms? The answer depends on whom you ask. Two recent surveys offer different takes on how the lethargic economy is affecting the distribution of legal work. One survey found that legal departments have cut spending on outside counsel and have become more selective about the work they send out. But another survey has found that most corporations have maintained or increased their reliance on outside firms.

How Much Work Are Corporate Law Departments Paying For?

During his 12 years as a federal prosecutor in Chicago, Patrick Collins tried, and won, 20 criminal cases. Collins joined the corporate investigations practice at Perkins Coie’s Chicago office in March 2007, just about when the subprime mortgage market began unraveling. He describes some courtroom trends developing from the credit meltdown, including claims brought by sophisticated corporations of malfeasance by financial institutions.

Corporations as Victims, and Other Trends From the Credit Meltdown