Reporting In

This is a busy issue containing lots of informative content for our readers.
We have a report on oral arguments in pending U.S. Supreme Court cases of interest to in-house counsel.
We have a report on notable jury verdicts from 2007.
And we also have highlights from our annual Corporate Counsel Survey reported on pages 15-18. Our survey always turns up revealing information about what’s on the mind of in-house leaders in our region, and this year’s survey is no different.
That’s a lot to report on.
But there’s more.
On the good news front, in-house lawyers across the country are making more money, according to a recent survey by Altman Weil. For the most part, salary hikes are modest, while bonus plans make up most of the increases. Considering the demands on in-house lawyers these days, it’s good to hear they are being awarded for all of their hard work. We examine the survey findings in a page 3 story.
But on the not-so-good news front, outside counsel fees have broken the $1,000 per hour barrier. As the Wall Street Journal reported, in-house counsel may have reached their “vomit point” with this bit of news. Certain lawyers may have the expertise or clout to warrant such a sum. But, bottom line, it’s more about the total bill than what an individual lawyer charges. On page 1 we examine this barrier-breaking news and the ever-present challenge of controlling legal costs.
One more thing: Please consider nominating a colleague for our upcoming In-House Leaders in the Law event on April 29. You can find the nomination form online at http://events.lawyersweekly.com/InHouseLeadersintheLaw/index.cfm.
We’re looking for leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary vision and skill on their jobs or in their communities. We look forward to receiving your nominations and reading about all the amazing accomplishments of in-house lawyers in our legal community.
Remember, mark your calendars for April 29. We’ll see you at the Westin in Waltham, Mass. for this year’s In-House Leaders in the Law event!

Paul D. Boynton
Publisher
[email protected]