The Transformation of the Large Law Firm in England: A Comparative Analysis

英国大型律师事务所转型：比较分析

• 批准号: 9024662
• 负责人: Marc Galanter
• 金额: $ 6.07万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-06-01 至 1994-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9024662&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Transformation; Large; Law; Firm; England

Over the past several decades, large law firms have experienced substantial growth. Recent theory grounded in economic models attributes exponential growth rates to the existence of tournaments in the large firm. Essentially the theory postulates an internal labor market in the large law firm where partners create appropriate incentives for associates through the organization of tournaments. Growth is seen as a consequence of the need to promote some junior members, and recruitment is seen as a consequence of the need to replace those who are and are not promoted. Thus, the ratio of associates to partners does not decrease over time, and a constant promotion rate is hypothesized. While there is evidence of this pattern in the United States, its generalizability must be examined in a broader context. An apt comparison to the U.S. case is the English experience. The large solicitors' firms in the United Kingdom have shown similar patterns of growth despite differences in legal practice and in the character and function of law. This study systematically analyzes the recent transformations of both American and English law firms in order to understand what has made them grow and change and how these developments affect the future of these firms and the legal system in which they are set. The project consists of three interrelated parts: (1) an account of the contemporary growth and transformation of one echelon of English solicitors' firms; (2) a theory that portrays this transformation as a manifestation of the underlying structure of the firm growing exponentially, and a test of the theory; and (3) a comparison of the transformation of the English firms with that of large American law firms. A data set will be constructed on the growth and hierarchical structure of approximately 100 English firms for a period of 75 years. The data will include analysis of archival materials and interviews with informants. Comparable American data has been obtained by the investigators in prior research. This study provides a unique opportunity to account for organizational development within contrasting legal settings. The research will have both practical and theoretical importance in setting forth issues arising from the kinds of services law firms are providing and the conflicts they are having with the business world. Analyzing the patterns of similarity and differences in the development of the law firm in the United States and England will illuminate the relationship between the structural characteristics of law firms and the changing consumption of legal services in a globalized economy.

在过去的几十年里，大型律师事务所经历了 大幅增长。 以经济模型为基础的最新理论 将指数增长率归因于锦标赛的存在 在大公司。 基本上，该理论假设了一个内部 在大型律师事务所的劳动力市场， 通过组织适当的激励措施， 锦标赛. 增长被视为需要 晋升一些初级成员，招聘被视为一种 需要取代那些现在和现在都不是 推进 因此，合伙人与合伙人的比例并不 随着时间的推移而减少，并假设有一个恒定的晋升率。 虽然在美国有这种模式的证据， 必须在更广泛的背景下审查普遍性问题。 英国的经验与美国的情况有一个恰当的比较。 的 英国的大型律师事务所也显示出类似的情况， 尽管在法律的实践和发展中存在差异， 法的性质和功能。 本研究系统分析了 美国和英国律师事务所最近的转型 为了了解是什么让他们成长和改变， 这些发展影响了这些公司的未来和法律的 他们所处的制度。 该项目包括三个 相关部分：（1）对当代增长和 一个阶层的英国律师行的转型;（2）a 这种理论将这种转变描绘为 公司的基本结构呈指数级增长， （3）比较了理论的转换， 英国律师事务所与美国大型律师事务所的差距。 数据集 将建立在增长和层次结构， 在75年的时间里，大约有100家英国公司。 数据 将包括分析档案材料和采访 线人 可比较的美国数据是由 研究人员在先前的研究。 这项研究提供了一个独特的机会， 对比法律的环境中的组织发展。 的 研究将在实践和理论上都具有重要意义， 阐述律师事务所服务种类所引起的问题 以及他们与企业之间的冲突 世界 分析了不同文化背景下的相似性和差异性模式， 美国和英国律师事务所的发展将 阐明结构特征之间的关系 律师事务所和不断变化的消费法律的服务， 全球化经济。