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Finance Issue SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE FOR THE GREATER CHICAGO CHAPTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF LEGAL ADMINISTRATORS ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE Finance Issue

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Page 1: ADMINISTRA TOR’S ADVANT AGE › alachicago.org › resource › resmgr › ...ADMINISTRA TOR’S ADVANT AGE ADMINISTRA TOR’S ADVANT AGE From the Editor I’ve worked in finance

ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Finance Issue

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE FOR THE GREATER CHICAGO CHAPTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF LEGAL ADMINISTRATORS

ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Finance Issue

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 2

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 3

ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

From the Editor

I’ve worked in finance my whole career, before the law firm, in other industries. Accounting does not change much from office to office. So, when our committee got together to brainstorm for the upcom-ing edition of our newsletter, I wondered what we might come up with that was new and different. Most importantly, could we find something interesting for our readers. Apparently, the committee did not share my concerns as they came up with some great ideas.

Accounts receivable is every firm’s lifeline. It can also be their biggest headache. We have asked our expert what are the most important questions to ask are for managing your receivables and we give you the top 10. Let us know if you agree. After you have collected those receivables, you may also want to look at your banking habits. The article we share with you on banking will present some new ideas to

make money with your money. I’m all for that.

Thanks to computers, there are many reports that you can prepare for you firm. We have an article that educates us on which reports we should use to enhance revenue and profitability. After you read about them, let us know which if any you are using at your firm. Even with the best reporting, sometimes your receivables are not where you need them to be and it becomes time to call your friendly banker. Read the article from our new business partner and figure out if your firm will secure that loan.

We have several miscellaneous items for your enjoyment and I am thrilled we are able to share them. As you may recall, in our last issue we included information about Loom who were at the Regional Legal Management Conference in Chicago. Thank you to so many members and visitors who stopped by and supported them. They recorded their highest single day of sales ever. We have a few pictures to share. Another article I am bursting with pride to share is our Honor Flight recap. Many thanks to Diane Brummel and Cathy Velcich who shared the stories of their relatives’ experiences. I am honored to be able to include them in this magazine.

Our Business Partner appreciation event was a great time. The Chapter presented awards to them as a small token of our apprecia-tion. We are a great chapter because of these alliances. We have many pictures from the event to share with you. The next time a need arises, we encourage you to reach out to one of these amazing people.

We worked extra hard to get this edition to you before Halloween because we have some great recipes and a Halloween word scramble for you. If not, you certainly have a leg up on next year. I hope you can take a moment and enjoy this edition. Thank you to the many people who have contributed. It was a pleasure to put this newsletter together for you. As always, we would love to hear from you. So please send us your thoughts, ideas or comments. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Sue Burdett

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 4

Contents

Finance Articles Features

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Business Partner Profile . . . . . . . . . . 8

Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Honor Flight Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Business Partner Awards Photos . . 14

Bi-Monthly Recap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Business Partner Appreciation . . . 22

Legal Levity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Got CLM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The 10 Most Important Questions to Ask About Accounts Receivable Management ....................................................................................18By Jake Krocheski

A Fresh Look At Banking ....................................................................28By Ken Koehn

Budgeting: A Roadmap to Success ......................................................30By Jamie Henss

Utilizing Financial and Management Reports to Enhance Revenueand Profitability ................................................................................32By Joel A. Rose

How Banks Access the Credit Worthiness of Law Firms .........................36By Kristin Freund

Revolutionizing how the industry builds. The personality of an organization comes through in the built environment. Constructing and renovating millions of square feet of award-winning interior workspace environments has taught us to see every project differently—from tech startups to established law firms. That’s why we approach each job with an understanding that the space and the end user are unique. And we rely on close partnerships to deliver a consistently high-quality product that reflects those singular personalities.

Chicago San Francisco skender.com

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 5

Business PartnersThe Greater Chicago Chapter wishes to thank all of our sponsors for their generous contributions and support:

Gold Sponsors:

Next Day Plus

One Legal

UPS

Silver Sponsors:EPIQ

FlexManage

Garvey’s Office Products

Genesis Technologies, Inc.

Keno Kozie

Konica Minolta Business Solutions

Skender

Warehouse Direct

Bronze Sponsors:ABA Retirement Funds

ALL-STATE LEGAL

Andromeda Technology Solutions

Avanti Staffing, Inc.

Beacon Hill Legal

BIG Construction, LLC

Bluelock

Bradford Allen Realty Services

Canon Business Process Services, Inc.

CIBC Bank USA

CBRE, Inc.

Clune Construction Company

Coffee Unlimited

Datasource, Ink

Entara (formerly YJT Solutions)

Exela Technologies

Floor Innovations

Gregg Communications

Gunlocke

Humanscale

ICG - Interior Construction Group, Inc.

Impact Networking LLC

iSolved

IST Management Services

Kastle Systems

Lexitas Legal

Nelson

Nuance Communications, Inc.

PerfectLaw Software

Porcaro Stolarek Mete Partners, LLC

Proven IT

R-4 Services, LLC

Rippe & Kingston

Risk Strategies Company

Robert Half Legal

SL Pensions

SpeakWrite

The Horton Group

Thompson Flanagan

Tuttle Printing & Engraving

Werner Printing & Engraving Co.

Advertisers Index: Epiq ................................................... 21

FlexManage ....................................... 37

Garvey’s Office Products .................. 21

Genesis Technologies........................ 13

Keno Kozie .......................................... 9

Konica Minolta ................................... 39

Next Day Plus .................................... 43

One Legal ............................................ 2

UPS .................................................. 35

Skender ............................................... 4

Warehouse Direct ............................. 42

The Administrator’s AdvantageSeptember / October 2018

Newsletter Editor: Susan [email protected] Newsletter Committee:

Kat [email protected]

Jane [email protected]

Maria [email protected]

Ana [email protected]

Printing: Werner Printing & Engraving(312) 930-1900

Design:Heiniger Design, Inc. [email protected]

Photos: Front & Back Cover: Shutterstock

ALA Mission Statement: The Association of Legal Administrators’ mis-sion is to promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of all members of the legal management team; improve the quality of man-agement in law firms and other legal service organizations; and represent professional legal management and managers to the legal commu-nity and to the community at large.

A Chapter of theAssociation of Legal Administrators

ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 6

President’s Message

Update on Chicago ChapterBoard InitiativesMichael MotykaMarshall Gerstein Borun, LLP

The summer has flown by, and we are already half way through the Chapter’s fiscal year! I am pleased to report that the amazing volunteers on the GCC Board have continued to

work hard to deliver valuable educational and networking opportunities for our members. Here is a quick summary of some of our recent work.

Administrative Support for the Chap-ter – It requires a lot of volunteer hours and effort to operate a chapter with almost 300 members, over 50 business partners, and over 120 meetings and events annu-ally. Almost all of the other large ALA chapters across the country have hired outside services to provide administrative support. But the Greater Chicago Chapter does not have any administrative support, and the burden of all that work is carried completely by our amazing volunteers. Several years ago the GCC hired the ALA national staff to take responsibility for administrative support. Unfortunately, that arrangement did not succeed, and we ended that relationship. We are now looking into hiring an association manage-ment company to provide administrative support to the chapter, and we are solicit-ing proposals from several companies who are successfully providing support to other ALA chapters such as Atlanta, Minnesota and Seattle. We are looking to form a partnership with a company that can help the Greater Chicago Chapter deliver high value to legal administrators in the Chicago market, making our member experience the best it can be while also making our volunteer work meaningful and rewarding.

members responded, and the results will be summarized in the next issue.

“No-Show” Problem – The attendance at our educational events has increased since we made them free for members, and it has proven to be a popular benefit. However, we are experiencing more “no-shows” at our events (that is, people who register but do not show up without any notification). For example, at our September Bi-Monthly Lunch, over 20% of the people who reg-istered did not attend and gave no notice. That resulted in a lot of wasted food and unnecessary expense. We all understand that schedule conflicts arise, so please notify the organizer of an event in advance if you no longer can attend. If you are able to provide at least 24 hours advanced notice, we can adjust the food order in time. If we continue to experience these challenges, we may consider instituting a “No-Show Fee” like many other profes-sional organizations.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or feedback. I hope to see many of you at a future GCC event! ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Cheers,Mike Motyka

Michael

Michael MotykaMarshall Gerstein Borun, LLPPresident, Greater Chicago Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators

Learn. Connect. Lead.

I will keep you posted on our progress.

CLM Study Program – Our CLM Study Program is back in full swing. We have about 30 people from Chicago and across the country participating in 18 sessions that are organized and led by experienced members of the Chicago chapter, as they prepare to take ALA’s Certified Legal Man-ager exam.

New Roundtable Events – We held two new roundtable events - the COO & Executive Director Roundtable Breakfast on August 7, and the Large Firm Office Administrator Roundtable Lunch on August 22. Both were well received, so we will continue to hold these events quarterly.

September Bi-Monthly Lunch – We had good attendance for the September 18 lunch program on “The Do’s and Don’ts of Employee Investigations” by Franczek Radelet P.C., and received a lot of positive feedback.

Business Partner Appreciation Party – We celebrated all of our generous Business Partners at a party on Thursday, September 20 at the Wit. We had a great turnout and outstanding reviews from both members and sponsors. Brews with the Board – As part of our ef-fort to find ways to get immediate feedback and input from Chapter members, we held our first morning coffee gathering with the Board members on Wednesday, October 3, and hope to continue this quarterly.

Member Survey – We conducted a member survey to help inform the Board’s decisions regarding our newsletter, edu-cational programing, social events and other important items. About a third of

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 7

Board Members and Chapter Advisors

2018-2019 Greater Chicago Chapter Board of Directors

Michael Motyka - PresidentMarshall Gerstein Borun, [email protected]

Laura Sears - CLM Vice President and President ElectRegion 3 RepresentativeGould & Ratner [email protected] 312-899-1660

Ken Koehn - Vice President Elect/TreasurerGould & Ratner, [email protected]

Jose Cheesman, CLM - SecretaryHall Prangle SchoonveldEmail: [email protected]

Betsy Kopczynski - Past President-HistorianEpstein Becker & [email protected]

Anna Sorensen - Business Partner Relations DirectorStradley Ronon Stevens & Young, [email protected]

Mary Ann Rojas, CLM - CLM DirectorPugh, Jones & Johnson, [email protected]

Michelle Howe, PHR - Communications/ Website DirectorDrinker Biddle & Reath [email protected]

Kyle Woodward - Community Relations DirectorFreeborn & Peters [email protected]

Patricia Carey - Large Firm DirectorMcGuireWoods [email protected]

Kat Denk - Membership Director/Director of Member ExperienceBryan Cave Leighton Paisner [email protected]

Rachel Benner - Mid-Size Firm DirectorGolan Christie [email protected]

Susan Burdett - Newsletter [email protected] 708-860-4139

Patricia Winter, CLM, CRM - Professional Development DirectorFORAN [email protected] 312.863.5006

Laura Marlin - Small Firm DirectorMiller Shakman & Beem [email protected]

Suzanne Florez - CLMSpecial Events DirectorDonohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth [email protected]

Barb Javorcic - Survey DirectorMarshall Gerstein & Borun [email protected]

Larry J. Fujara - Finance AdvisorPattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson [email protected]

Carol McCallum, CLM, Human Resource AdvisorArnett Law Group, [email protected] 312-561-5660

Lindsay Shaw, Legal Industry/Business AdvisorIllinois Supreme Court Commission on [email protected]

Tracy Gallegos - Operations/Communications AdvisorArgonne National [email protected] 630-252-4033

Ana Parada, Career Services Advisor Funkhouser Vegosen Liebman & Dunn, Ltd. [email protected] 312.701.6886

September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 7

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 8

Business Partner Profile

Jon Milonas

MY NAME IS: Jon Milonas.

I WORK FOR: CBRE, Inc.

THE COMPANY’S PRODUCT OR SERVICE IS: Local and Global Real Estate Strategy Development, Site Selection, Office Leasing Negotia-tions and Construction Management for Law Firms.

THE COMPANY HAS/IS: The market leader in helping Chicago organiza-tions solve complex office leasing problems.

MY TITLE IS: Senior Vice President, Advisory & Transaction Services.

BEFORE BECOMING A BUSINESS PARTNER TO THE LEGAL MARKET, I WAS: Working in foster homes in Valparaiso, Chile as a volunteer with the YMCA.

I ENTERED THE LEGAL MARKET BECAUSE: I have the opportunity to work with people who are incredibly smart, sophisticated, and profes-sional.

I HAVE A DEGREE IN: Finance and Psychology from University of Illinois (I present spreadsheets to CFO’s right after I read their minds!).

I SUPPORT ALA BECAUSE: It helps me fulfill my life mission to enrich people and the world. ALA’s network has been a tremendous help to me

personally, and I hope that I’m returning the favor.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE LEGAL MARKET, ONE HAS TO: Be bet-ter than my clients expect, be better than my competition, and be better than my own past self.

THE THING I LIKE BEST ABOUT BE-ING A BUSINESS PARTNER TO THE LEGAL MARKET IS: Law firms make long-term decisions, which are com-plex and require a lot of analysis to build consensus. These are the types of projects that make us love our job.

THE BEST ADVICE I HAVE RECEIVED IS: Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

THE BEST ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST ENTERING THE LEGAL MARKET IS: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. If you don’t, you might get sued.

I TRY TO MOTIVATE MYSELF AND/OR MY STAFF BY: Encouraging them to be their full, authentic selves in all facets of their lives. At work, at home, in the community.

THREE THINGS I DO WELL ARE:Listening, dreaming up new ideas, connecting people to people and ideas to help them get where they want to go.

WHILE I LOVE MY CURRENT JOB, MY DREAM JOB WOULD BE:Bono’s job. Writing, recording, and performing music all over the world. I won’t be quitting my day job, but my first album is done! See www.jonmilonas.com.

THE LAST GOOD BOOK I READ WAS: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.

THE LAST GOOD MOVIE I SAW WAS: We have a one year old at home, so it’s been a long time since I saw a movie in the theater! At home it was The Greatest Showman.

THE LAST VACATION I TOOK WAS:To St. Joseph, Michigan, with my wife, Melissa, and our son Benjamin.

IN MY FREE TIME, I: Create. I love creating music, writing, and bring-ing new ideas to life. I published my first book in 2016, Kicking Off Your Office Lease, and check out our new Office Leasing blog at www.officestrategy.com ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 9

UPCOMING EVENTS:

COO/ED Roundtable BreakfastTuesday, October 30, 20188:30 AM to 10:00 AM (CST)Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered500 W. Madison, Suite 3700

November 2018 Small-Size Firm MeetingWednesday, November 7, 2018 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (CST)Miller Shakman & Beem180 N. LaSalle, #3600, Chicago, IL 60602

Silver & Bronze Partner Networking EventThursday, November 8, 20184:30 PM to 7:30 PM (CST)Chicago Athletic Club; Cherry Circle Room12 S. Michigan Avenue

CLM Educational Program - They Still Call Me Nanny: How to Move Beyond Unconscious Bias in the Legal WorkplaceThursday, November 13, 2018 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM (CST)Petterino’s150 N. Dearborn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60601

November 2018 Mid-Size Firm MeetingThursday, November 15, 2018 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (CST)Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg200 West Madison Street, Suite 3900, Chicago, IL 60606

GCC Holiday PartyWednesday, December 5, 2018 at 5:00 PM (CST)Rivers Restaurant 30 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606

December 2018 Small-Size Firm MeetingWednesday, December 12, 201812:00 PM to 1:00 PM (CST)Fox Rothschild LLP 353 N. Clark, #3650 , Chicago, IL 60654

MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE CHAPTER WEBSITE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON

UPCOMING EVENTS

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 10

Navy, 17 Air Force, 8 Marine Corps, 1 Coast Guard

Diane shares her Dad’s story:

My father, Corporal Ed Brummel served with the Army in Korea as a squadron leader and a light weapons infantryman, that is if you consider a 44 lb, 57mm recoilless rifle “light”! The funny story is that in 2016, unknow-ingly to me, my Dad wasn’t interested in even filling out the Honor Flight application. Then I witnessed an Honor Flight leaving in Spring 2017 and shared the story with my family. The application was completed and sent before he could say no. Move forward to late July 2018, when Dad found out he was going in less than three weeks. He started to become excited and was ready days before. Dropping him off at the airport at 4 am was like sending a child to his first day in school. He was ready and his daughter was teary eyed - or was that just tired eyes?

I was impressed by every aspect of the Flight.We eagerly awaited Dad’s arrival at the airport with so many others who came to Honor Flight returns regularly or who were there for their loved ones. That night Dad returned

This summer, two of our Chapter members had the pleasure of seeing their Dads and Uncle honored for their military service during the Korean

War by being included in the Honor Flight Chicago program. Diane Brummel’s dad, Ed Brummel; and Cathy Velcich’s Dad, William Marich and Uncle, Carl Olesen, found them-selves on the same Flight # 87 to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 8th.

Below Diane and Cathy explain the Honor Flight Program and describe the experi-ences their loved ones had on that moving and memorable day. Since the Honor Flight network is a way of saying thanks to all of our veterans by giving them one more Tour with Honor, sharing their stories is Diane and Cathy’s way of thanking their fellow GCC members for their support when they reached out to solicit letters of “thanks for serving” to be given to their respective Dads and Cathy’s Uncle as they each took one more Tour!

Diane explains that Honor Flights started in 2005 and then merged with HonorAir in

2007, which evolved into over 140 Honor Flight Network regional hubs across the Unit-ed States. To date, Honor Flight Chicago has flown over 8,000 veterans from WWII and

the Korean War including some who served in multiple wars including Vietnam. On Au-gust 8, Flight #87 flew a total of 90 Veterans. This group of men and women included:

n 8 WWII veterans with the oldest being 98

n 82 Korean War veterans, with the oldest being 90 and youngest 81

n Average Age of our WWII veterans is 94, Korean War veterans is 86. They served in the following branches: 53 Army, 11

One More Tour of HonorHonor Flight Chicago, Flight #87, August 8, 2018

Ed Brummel at the Korean War Memorial.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 11

energized and in awe. He was amazed at the coordination of efforts to make this trip so seamless. From the time he was dropped off at Midway, to his arrival at Dulles Airport in D.C., to his return to Midway, there was always a guardian assigned to him. His experience was about the people and their kindness and gratitude. General Colin Powell spoke to them and took time to shake each of their hands. They were all celebrated with police escorts in D.C., received salutes and appreciation from young and old, and were greeted by bands and bag pipers welcoming them home.

The day after the flight, Dad said he still hadn’t “landed” and was contemplating his adventure. One of the features of the Flight was to have friends and family write letters of “thanks for serving” which would be delivered to the honorees at a “mail call” at the end of the trip. Dad only started reading the letters on the second day after his trip, and he was wowed by all those who responded to the mail request. He still is relishing his

experience and is amazed by how well orchestrated the entire day was. He felt truly blessed by all the people involved to make it a wonderful, memorable experience.

As I was reviewing the 4500 photos that were taken, I couldn’t help but feel enor-mous USA pride for the veterans and for those cur-

rently serving and those who have since passed. I also felt admira-tion for those involved in making this trip extra special, from all the volunteers, to all those who showed up at the airports, the police escorts, the pilots, other emergency

responders, the singers, and the families and the bystanders who stopped to give thanks. I encourage you to share the story so other vets may have an extraordinary experience, which they so deserve!

Equally impressed, Cathy shares her Dad and Uncle’s experience as well:

SHOCKED! That is the best way to describe my family’s reaction when we found out my Dad, William Marich and my Uncle, Carl

Olesen made the call to sign up for Honor Flight Chicago. My Dad and Uncle enlisted in the Army and Air Force respectively during the Korean War. After their basic training they each had a 50% chance to go to Korea. Instead, they were both sent to Europe.

My Dad was a Specialist 3 in the Army, anti-aircraft battery 63AAA battalion of the

7th Army. He was in the motor pool that maintained all mechanized equipment for the anti-aircraft battery. My Uncle was an Air Force Airman 1st Class and served in com-munications as a radio operator and Crypto Operator. Neither of them saw combat, and therefore they say they never felt like real veterans. Hence our shock when they signed up for this truly moving experience.

Though they didn’t feel like veterans, they shared a great admiration and debt of gratitude to those they consider the “real” veterans, and this allegiance stoked their desire to see the monuments dedicated to those heroes. They are still in awe of the day they shared which was organized by Honor Flight Chicago. From the minute they were dropped off at the airport at 3:00 a.m., until they returned at 9:00 p.m., they were doted upon, celebrated and thanked. The honorees landed in Washington, D.C. to fire trucks arcing a water spray over their plane, a rousing airport reception, a police escort to all monument stops, and an audience with General Colin Powell. The veterans were each assigned a guardian that made sure all of their needs were met throughout the trip. Each guardian pushed a wheelchair for their William Marich and Carl Olesen at the Korean

War Memorial.

Diane Brummel (center) with her dad, Ed (right), her brother, Daniel, (upper left) and her mom, Mary Ann (lower left).

Ed Brummel’s mail call.

Cathy Velcich (left) with her dad, Bill, and sister Cher.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 12

honorees (even those who are mobile) in the event they needed a place to sit and rest. The veterans were provided water, cool towels on their necks, meals and snacks. Throughout the day, they had a chance to meet and chat with current military personnel and in one instance, hold those firearms one more time!

Both of my vets still have trouble putting the experience into words. They were deeply moved by the monuments, and yet almost felt embarrassed because they felt unde-serving of the kindness and attention they received. They went to see the monuments dedicated to and inspired by those who gave so much more, and instead they themselves were celebrated and honored. I asked my Dad which monument was his favorite. He said “though time constraints did not allow a trip to Arlington National Cemetery, we passed it twice and the busses slowed down. All of the monuments are great, but that is the biggest memorial of them all.”

When they returned to Midway airport they were met with another honor display, this time by the Chicago Fire Department arcing water over their taxiing plane in a colored light display. Inside, hundreds of family members and friends along with bands and bag pipers welcomed them home. I shook hands with as many vets as I could. When asked how they enjoyed the day, each of them said it exceeded every expectation. In addition to pride and happiness, I witnessed tears, reminding me that for many vets this experience also brought closure. One veteran wore a picture of his best friend so that he

too could be honored and celebrated - he died before he could make this trip.

Their Honor Flight experience did not end with their arrival at Midway Airport. They were provided a bag of mementoes as they exited the plane, had hundreds of profes-sional pictures posted online within 10 days and of course bags of mail thanks to many of YOU!

Honor Flight Chicago is an incredibly compassionate organization which provides a highly organized, extraordinarily planned day for our nation’s finest. However, they are in dire need of donations to keep the flights scheduled. One volunteer shared that they had to reduce the number of flights due to

funding. If you want to learn more about this great organization or see more photos, go to www.honorflightchicago.com.

If there is a veteran in your life, remind them, if they put the uniform on and gave of themselves so selflessly and courageously, they too deserve the Honor Flight Chicago experience!

From both Diane and myself, thank you to our fellow ALA friends and colleagues who helped make this Honor Flight so memorable for our veterans!

And thank you Diane and Cathy for sharing your stories with us. We are grateful for and proud of your veterans.

Cathy’s dad, William Marich, and uncle, Carl Olesen, at the WWII Memorial. Cathy Velcich and Diane Brummel

Ed Brummel speaks with a future veteran on the Mall.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 13

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Loom artisans displayed their functional art pieces. All are handcrafted by Refugee Women Artisans. We featured them in our last newsletter. Please read about these amazing women in the Technology issue of the Administrator’s Advantage. They had a table set up at our regional conference in September. They sold $1,254 worth of product. This is the highest single day of sales they ever had. Thank you to so many who stopped by to meet them and purchase something from them.

Loom Project at the Regional Conference a Hit!

This was the sales amount by noon.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 14

Special Thanks To Our Business Partners!

Ryan Hamilton of Konica Minolta Vicki LaBarge & Don Goodman of Allstate Legal Kevin Garvey of Garvey Office Products

Michael Galliani & Drew Bishop of Floor Innovations Karen Olshefski and Antonia Atlas of Beacon Hill Legal Meghan Anderson of ICG

Caroline Hernandez, Brittany Vasquez & Michael Scotti of Robert Half Jeremy Beam of Rippe & Kingston Andrea Kuhn and Courtney Liptrot of Kastle Systems

Rachael Franko of iSolved HCM Ken Vedder and Hank Paul of Warehouse Direct

Craig Nadborne & Jonathan Seeley of Bradford Allen Realty Service Michael Giardina & Rocco Belcaster of Impact Grace De Mari of Avanti Staffing

Dan Abercrombie and Bob Werner of Werner Printing

September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 14

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 15

Stephanie Foy & Meghan Gallagher of Humanscale Sandy Vilips, Anthony Perrino & Melani Ortiz of UPS

Mel Sears & Mary Dine of Gregg Communications Michael Welbel & Andrew Hatch of Risk Strategies David Dunlap & Elenor Yarnall of Entara

Shannon Desmarais, Dan Cynova & Eddie Rivera of Canon Business Process Services, Inc.

Paul Shaheen of The Horton Group

Doni Nicholas of SL Pensions Sheldon Mallory & Sydney Slutzky of Coffee Unlimited Megan Zande & Kristen Freund of CIBC Bank

Kristen Baustert & Jason Chowaniec of Epiq Alex Braun of One Legal Katherine Mozur of IST Management Services

Marty Festenstein of NELSON Tom Kosloskus, Patrick Howard & Cory Mastey of Next Day Plus Carl Utz & Mike Nowak of Andromeda Technology

Michael Zera & Emily Fuson of Thompson Flanagan

Stuart Aumonier & Josh Frahm of Proven IT

September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 15

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 16

Bi-Monthly Recap

The "Do's and Don'ts" of Employee InvestigationsBy Susan Burdett

The September bi-monthly educational event was held at Franczek Radelet P.C. on September 18th. If you missed it, you missed something exceptional. The topic of the event was “The Do’s and Don’ts of Employee Investigations.” It was presented by Shelli An-derson and Bill Pokorny of Franczek Radelet. Here are some of the highlights.

What triggers an investigation? There are several possibilities. An observation of misconduct, complaints (whether formal or informal), rumors, outside information and hotlines or anonymous tips are just a few. When information is received in any of these manners, it needs to be reviewed and the question to be answered is “does sufficient information exist to identify the accused and alleged misconduct?” This needs to be handled with sensitivity.

Upon receipt of a complaint, whether formal or informal, try to get it in writing. Always make a record of the complaint. You should always have your managers trained on how to deal with harassment. Once the Investigation process begins, the following steps should be taken –

1. Choosing the appropriate investigators

2. Planning the investigation

3. Documenting the investigation

4. Interviewing the complainant

5. Interviewing the accused and other witnesses

6. Completing the investigation and conclusion

To determine who should investigate, realize that there is no “one size fits all” approach. The investigator should have the trust and credibility of the firm. Be consistent in investigations. Determine the complaint and the policies at issue, the level of the employ-ees involved, and any other factors that may come into play.

The investigator should prepare by mak-ing sure they are a neutral fact finder. They should conduct a prompt and thorough in-vestigation, without allowing too much time to pass. You want to demonstrate that you took immediate action. Such action may in-clude suspension, re-assigning an employee or

an informal dispute resolution. The investiga-tor must set the scope of the investigation; what are the issues, who is accused, are there other complainants? Analyze and map out the investigation before you jump in.

The importance of documentation cannot be stressed enough. When conducting em-ployee interviews, explain the purpose of the interview, stress the importance of learning all the facts, discuss confidentiality (do not guar-antee it), and inform employees they need to

Presenter Shellie AndersonPresenter Bill Pokorny

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 17

Bi-Monthly Recap

be truthful and complete.

Interviewing the complainant is the most important part of the investigation. Make sure they feel safe and comfortable talking. The appropriate setting may not be in the office. Ask open ended questions and let them give you as much information as pos-sible and ask if there are any notes, record-ings, photos, physical evidence or any other documentation of the event. Take careful notes. When taking notes, step one (as you learned in school) is to start with your name and the date. Ask for other witnesses. Tell the complainant that to conduct a full investiga-tion, all information including the names of any other persons involved is necessary. Ask what does the complainant want? When the complainant walks out the door, make sure they know there could be future interviews.

The accused will not be happy to be inter-viewed. Your job is to get their side of the story. You will need to provide them with a clear summary of the accusation. Describe the complaint clearly and directly. Ask for the accused’s side of the story, again using open ended questions, in a non-judgmental manner. As you get their side of the events ask for witnesses they may have and/or any relevant documentation. Do not be hostile, do not render explicit or implied judg-ment of the situation and watch your body language. Listen with an open mind. Your job is to assess the credibility of what you are being told. Take careful and objective notes. Advise against speaking about the complaint at work. Stress that they cannot communi-cate their displeasure with anyone else but

you. Issue thoughtful retaliation warnings.This is maybe the most critical part of your interview.

After the interviews are concluded, take a moment to re-evaluate the scope of the investigation. Are you still looking at the right questions? The accused may admit enough that additional steps previously planned become unnecessary.

If you need to interview other witnesses, be mindful of selecting who will be interviewed and stress CONFIDENTIALITY. E-mail to schedule as this leaves a written trail. Tell them to preserve documents they may have. Ask them, what did they see, what did they hear, is there anyone else that should be inter-viewed? It is important to distinguish whether this is something they saw/heard themselves or is it hearsay. Only interview those abso-lutely needed. Again, ask open ended ques-tions allowing them to tell you in their words what happened. Do not give any judgment through words or body language. Be mindful of nonverbal cues you may give. Always ask

“anything else you would like to add?”

When interviewing difficult witnesses, explain to them this is an opportunity to give their version of the events and to clear up any misinformation. They need to know that refusal to cooperate could lead to disciplinary action. Don’t show frustration! Don’t assume why the witness is being difficult. Keep an open mind; these are tough interviews. Try to make the witness feel comfortable. Again, the best location may be out of the office.

When documenting the complaint, include a clear concise summary of all information received. Memorialize every interview in writ-ing. Include the document’s author and title. Make sure to list the location of the interview and all persons present. Every interview should be on a separate piece of paper. Put your name and date on each document. If somebody changes their account, do not change your notes. Add to the text, that the witness later changed his mind and said this is what actually happened. Always try to get signatures from key witnesses. Make sure there are no personal notes included on the official interview summary.

Part of your initial planning should be how you will complete your investigation. Will you prepare a written report? If no full investigation report is issued, prepare a short memorandum for the file. Determine the appropriate action to be taken and always consult legal counsel. If disciplinary action is taken, make sure it solves the problem. Document the scope of the investigation, all findings and recommendations, and any disciplinary action. Documenting the entire investigation is incredibly important. Be specific but succinct abut the factual findings. Make judgments deliberately and carefully. Recommendations should be thoughtfully made within the authority of the investiga-tor. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Inform the Complainant and the Accused that the investigation is complete.

Tracy Gallegos introduces our speakers

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 18

Finance

Every law firm is different, but nearly all of them share common accounts receivable challenges. To help firms address their ac-counts receivable management problems, we have compiled a list of the questions we hear most frequently from law firms, and offer our answers:

Question 1: How should we evaluate our firm’s accounts receivable management needs and strategy to ensure we are making progress?Answer: Ask yourselves – are we doing the right job, or do our processes, policies and procedures exist only on paper or in theory? All firms should take the time and effort to evaluate if they have A/R management best practices in place. The key questions to ask are:• Do you have the appropriate gover-

nance and leadership structure in place?• Do you have meaningful reports and

information?• Do you have a good understanding of

how the attorneys are managing their A/R and if they are spending enough time on their collection efforts?

• Do you have the right administrative staff in place, and are they doing the right work the right way?

• Are you measuring their performance by results they are achieving?

• Is the firm regularly collecting its older, difficult A/R?

Question 2: What role should our firm lead-ership play in A/R management and collection efforts?

The 10 Most Important Questions to Ask About Accounts Receivable ManagementBy Jake Krocheski

Answer: Effective receivables management needs to start from the top. Leadership needs to have the ability to tell the attorneys to address their collections, but also understand the need to use other resources to help them achieve results. To begin, firm leadership needs to perform a self-evaluation to figure out what the firm is doing right and what you could be doing better. It needs to do a thorough self-assessment of the firm’s A/R management practices and procedures. Take stock of what you are doing – and why – and evaluate what is and is not working. Look at everything, including how your firm historically has managed its receivables, to determine where changes need to be made based on today’s legal profession and how clients pay. Also, determine how much e-billing makes up your accounts receivable and how effective your firm is at getting them collected. An important aspect of this is assessing whether you have the right people, with the right skills, in place to do the job. This involves two groups – attorneys and A/R staff. Understand that everyone managing receivables must be held to high standards of accountability to ensure prog-ress is being made.

Question 3: How do we make our collection efforts a priority through the year instead of waiting until the last couple of months?Answer: Too many law firms continue to think collections is easy: all you have to do is remind clients to pay and they will. But more and more, clients are more savvy and smarter about their payments, and many take considerable time before they

pay. Throughout the year, firms must stop tolerating “good” clients who just don’t pay their bills. Although waiting until year-end may work for some institutional clients that typically pay at year-end, many clients re-quire much more effort throughout the year. Measure monthly revenue projections, but more importantly, be realistic about whether the firm is underachieving in its collections goals and if the firm has developed bad col-lection habits. Help your lawyers understand that when they see problems with older and difficult A/R later in the year, many of these problems actually started early in the year – but there was nothing done about them.

Question 4: How can we help clients under-stand payment expectations and train them to pay timely?Answer: The business environment has evolved – mindsets have changed and so have business practices of all types. Because law firms are doing business in a different world and making adjustments accordingly, it also requires that they routinely commu-nicate with their clients about unpaid bills to ensure timely payment or resolve problem issues. While past collections experiences should not be ignored, in these chang-ing times it may not be entirely useful as a guide. Although some clients have set rules of when payments will be made, firms must institute regular, steady, professional follow-up of unpaid bills to secure dates of when payment can be expected to help guide further follow-up. By showing clients that the firm is regularly

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 19

Finance

contacting them and monitoring their payment status, they will learn that you are well-aware of their bills and that you expect payment. However, sometimes it becomes the attorney’s problem because he or she is uncomfortable about asking for payment and grants too much leeway about timely payment.

Question 5: How should we evaluate ad-ministrative staff dedicated to managing and collecting our A/R?Answer: The staff should not be evaluated on how well they keep the attorneys happy by getting them copies of bills and reports; anybody can do these types of administrative work. Rather, determine what age group of receivables they are working: Is their success with good-paying clients that just need reminding, or are they making collecting older, difficult accounts the focus of their efforts? Also, determine how many direct contacts they make daily with clients and how many accounts they are handling. Most importantly, determine how many actual dollars they are collecting, especially the older, difficult accounts that continue to age. If your staff is handling e-bills, identify how many of these accounts they are handling and how long it is taking to resolve these issues.

Question 6: We are reluctant to put an A/R management program in place at our firm because our attorneys don’t want to hurt their client relationships. How can we respect their concerns yet put one in place?Answer: You need to educate your law-yers on various techniques and strategies for contacting clients that will keep their relationships strong. Law firms lose clients by doing poor work or by failing to deliver client service, not by asking clients to pay their bills. Managing receivables will not hurt the relationship as long as it is handled professionally. In today’s economy – and in the face of changing law firm economics – it has become a best practice to contact clients about unpaid bills in a timely manner. Also, to help ensure success, firms should not be reluctant to hire professional staff with ex-perience in accounts receivable management for the legal profession.

Question 7: What are the main problems law firms are experiencing with the slowdown in payments?Answer: Cash flow problems and clients hoarding cash (both institutional and non-institutional clients) are the main reasons why clients do not pay or pay slowly. They understand that they can ease their cash flow problems by delaying payment or not paying at all. They may claim that they are not satisfied with the service provided or are un-happy with the results. Further exacerbating the problem, clients may experience “sticker shock” when they expect to receive a bill of a certain size and are surprised when a much larger one arises. Also, the growth of e-billing and the greater length of time needed to resolve e-bill issues with clients has caused many firms to re-evaluate their collection issues by sorting out e-bill collections from non-e-bill collections.

Question 8: How can we best overcome the backlog of our older, difficult A/R?Answer: These receivables must be actively pursued until they are paid or determined to be uncollectable. But lawyers should not de-lude themselves into thinking that they are going to be paid without effort on the part of the firm. There must be dedicated, con-sistent efforts, with status reports going to the leadership of the firm to ensure progress is being made. Typically, firms focus their efforts on those clients that pay timely and avoid working with older accounts because they take time and are often not pleasant to deal with. Consistent follow-up efforts are the key to making progress with these types of accounts. Law firms are making a big mis-take if they think these types of receivables will be paid without working closely with clients and letting clients know their account is being monitored.

Question 9: We have a variety of informa-tion regarding our accounts receivable, but the information doesn’t help us determine what we should do and what problems we should ad-dress. What kind of A/R management informa-tion should we be looking at?Answer: A/R reports have to give firm leadership real, actionable information; they need to show that collection activity is mov-

ing forward and progress is being made on each account. Detailed reports should pro-vide information on whether accounts are actively being pursued, what the payment status is, who is pursuing collections and what success they are having, why clients are not paying, and what steps are being taken to get them to pay.

Question 10: We have policies and procedures for our attorneys to follow. Why are they not working?Answer: This is a difficult dilemma for many law firms. While the financial man-agement sector of a law firm wants to have strong black-and-white procedures that are common in most businesses, they are often challenged because there are so many complicated transactions and relationships that do not lend themselves to black-and-white procedures. All law firms should have written procedures in place concerning accounts receivable management, and com-municate their expectations on collections to the attorneys. However, the procedures need to be workable, and for those receivables that must have exceptions, these exceptions should be monitored closely and not be seen as a way to avoid firm collection poli-cies and rules. Giving too much individual autonomy to the attorneys is often the root of a firm’s A/R problems.

Also, firm leadership must step in to help attorneys understand what specific actions they must take to ensure payment, give them a time frame for getting accounts collected, and provide the right professional support to help them. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Jake Krocheski is the President of Client Connection, which assists law firms of all sizes throughout the United States by furnishing accounts

receivable management services and developing practical receivable pro-grams. He can be reached at [email protected].

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 20

Member Spotlight

MY NAME IS: Suzie L. Florez.

I WORK FOR: Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth, LLC.

THE FIRM & PRACTICE IS: Insurance Defense.

MY TITLE IS: Firm Administrator.

BEFORE BECOMING AN ADMINISTRATOR: I worked as a paralegal at plaintiff personal injury law firms and served as a music minister prior to that.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE LEGAL FIELD FOR: Almost 15 years.

I HAVE A DEGREE IN: B.A. in Music and Bible from Central Bible College (n/k/a Evangel University) in Springfield, MO.

I JOINED ALA CHICAGO CHAPTER BECAUSE: I was seeking to advance to the next level in my career. My mentor at the time suggested I join ALA to begin to network and obtain exposure and educational credits needed for legal management.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LEGAL ADMINISTRATION:1) Be positive. If you are the voice,

you must be the encourager.2) Always keep learning. Be the go

to person when someone at your

firm has a question in any area or topic.

3) Surround yourself with good people. Most firms experience the same situations. If you reach out, others can be a great resource.

THE THING I LIKE BEST ABOUT BEING A FIRM ADMINISTRATOR IS: Every day is different and always interesting. I love being hands on and directly working with the staff and attorneys.

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF BEING IN LEGAL ADMINISTRATION IS: All the moving parts. I’m expected to do anything from insurances, to hiring, to invoices, to secretarial assignments, to new software, to vendors, to marketing, to client relations –all the moving parts that work together to make the whole. That’s why you stay positive, keep learning, and surround yourself with good people.

THE BEST ADVICE I'VE EVER RECEIVED IS: Take the CLM exam!!

THE BEST ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS JUST ENTERING THE LEGAL MANAGEMENT FIELD IS: Find a mentor and take the CLM exam! I TRY TO MOTIVATE MY STAFF BY: Being positive, being present, letting them be heard. We celebrate the victories and eat a lot of food!! I love to write personal thank you notes when I hear of something they have done that

has demonstrated team work. It’s a simple, private way to know they are important and appreciated.

IF I WEREN'T A FIRM ADMINISTRATOR, I WOULD: Be back-up vocal singer on professional recordings in Nashville.

THE LAST GOOD BOOK I READ WAS: Favor with Kings – a book on leadership.

THE LAST GOOD MOVIE I SAW WAS: Hotel Transylvania 3 – yep, kids movies. That’s how I roll. Seriously, it was hilarious!

THE LAST VACATION I TOOK WAS: Vacation?? What’s that?? This is an area of improvement I am working on. Currently accepting all ideas. Preferably tropical and all-inclusive.

THE ONE APPOINTMENT I NEVER MISS IS: Thursday nights, Grey’s Anatomy – 15 seasons strong!

IN MY FREE TIME, I ENJOY: Running, playing and coaching my son’s baseball team, playing piano, and a good firepit under the stars on a crisp, clear night. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Suzie L. Florez

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 21

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 22

Business Partner Appreciation Event

We held our business partner appreciation event on Thursday, September 20th at the Wit. It was a great time and this year we had a unique presentation for our partners. Each business partner was given an award as a token of our appreciation. Be sure to check out those pictures on pages 23 and 24. I encourage you to reach out to our business partners for any needs or services they provide that can assist you. I have worked with several and they are not only knowledgeable, they are so personable. I have not had a bad conversation with any of them. Even if you are not in the market, they are always willing to talk, educate or answer questions. We have also had some really great articles for the Administrator’s Advantage from, you guessed it, our business partners. Here a few pictures to recap the event.

September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 22

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 23September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 23

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 24

Ingredients For the Brownie Layer:• 1 cup sugar• 1/2 cup flour• 1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder• 2 eggs• 1/2 cup vegetable oil• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Layer:• 1 brick 8oz cream cheese, at room temp• 1/4 cup sugar• 1 egg• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract• orange food coloring

Instructions • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking

dish with parchment paper or foil and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

For the Brownie Layer:• In a medium bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa

powder, salt, and baking powder.• In a small bowl, add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix

with a fork until well combined.• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and

mix with a spatula until just combined.• Reserve 1/4 cup of the batter for the swirls then pour

the remaining batter into the prepared baking dish.For the Cream Cheese Layer:• In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar,

egg, & vanilla. Blend until smooth.• Add in the orange food coloring and stir to combine.• Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the

brownie batter.• Drop tablespoons of the remaining brownie batter on

top and gently swirl with a knife or skewer.• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set. Remove and let

cool completely before slicing.

Halloween Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins

from Melinda HornMakes 12 large or 24 small muffins Ingredients:• 1 box spice cake mix• 1 can 15-16oz pumpkin puree (not pie filling)• ¾ cup water* (1 cup water if you prefer less dense muffins,

½ cup if you prefer more dense)Optional: ½ cup mini chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F. • Grease muffin tins with cooking spray or line with paper liners.• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and divide into muffin cups.• Bake 20-25 minutes depending on size of muffins.• Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.They will be very moist.Optional topping:• Cream cheese frosting or whipped cream

We asked our readers for some of their favorite Halloween recipes and, as usual, we got some great responses.

In the mood for some chocolate? Sheri Lawrence at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP sent in these scrumptious looking Halloween Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies.

Legal Levity

Some Scary Good Treats

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 25

Ingredients• 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted• 3 tablespoons lime juice• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1 (8-ounce) container chive and onion cream

cheese spread• 1/3 cup salsa verde• 2 green onions, chopped• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro• 3 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks• 1/2 a bag of blue tortilla chips• 1 small sweet pickle• 2 slices green bell pepper• 2 slices yellow bell pepper• 1 slice red bell pepper• 1 canned black olive• 1 green pea

Instructions1. Scoop out avocado flesh and place in a

medium bowl. Sprinkle lime juice and salt on top of avocado and mash with a fork.

2. Stir in cream cheese spread, salsa verde, green onions, and cilantro. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm.

3. Place chilled guacamole dip on a serving platter and shape into a witch's face.

4. For hair, arrange carrot sticks along top and sides.

5. Arrange corn chips on top of carrots to form a hat.

6. Place sweet pickle in center to form nose. Use bell pepper slices to make eyes, eyebrows, and mouth.

7. Cut two small pieces of black olive for eyeballs and place green pea on chin for a wart.

Witch Finger Cookies Gabriella Garcia Martinez from Klafter & Burke and Anne Jewell at Miller Law sent in these Witch Finger Cookies. You can add a couple of drops of green food coloring and toast the almonds before applying

to the dough to make them look extra gnarly and “witch-y”. Ingredients:• Vegetable oil cooking spray• 2 cups all-purpose flour• ½ teaspoon baking powder• ¼ teaspoon fine salt• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)• 1 cup sugar• 1 large egg, (room temperature)• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract• 28 large sliced almonds• ½ cup raspberry jam

Directions: 1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray or line with a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until a dough forms.

4. Using about1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 5-inch--long fingers about 1/2-inch thick. Firmly press a sliced almond into the end of each finger to make fingernails. Make several horizontal cuts, about 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch long, in the center of each finger to make knuckles. Press the dough on either side of the cuts to shape the knuckles. Arrange the fingers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer the fingers to a wire rack and cool completely.

5. In a small saucepan, heat the jam over low heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip the blunt ends of the fingers in the warm jam and arrange on a platter.

Witch Dip

Laura Marlin at Miller Shakman & Been, LLP sent us this fun dip.

Legal Levity

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 26

1. okypos _____________________2. pkpinum _____________________3. treta _____________________4. oghst _____________________5. ydance _____________________6. rpivame _____________________7. keonstel _____________________8. luhgo _____________________9. pecyre _____________________10. tomcuse _____________________11. nthua _____________________12. owaercrcs _____________________13. iydeah _____________________14. oblood _____________________15. labck act _____________________16. ogbiln _____________________17. mymmu _____________________18. rasyc _____________________19. piserd _____________________20. sremca _____________________

Halloween Word Scramble

Answers:1. spooky2. pumpkin3. treat4. ghost5. candy6. vampire7. skeleton8. ghoul9. creepy10. costume11. haunt12. scarecrow13. hayride14. blood15. black cat16. goblin17. mummy18. scary19. spider20. scream

Best Wishes to Steve Wingert for a Speedy Recovery

Legal Levity

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 27

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With interest rates at record lows for years after the financial crisis of 2008, many firms haven’t given much thought to their banking relationships and set-up in quite some time. These firms are often still working under banking plans established in the mid-2000’s. It may be time to take a fresh look at how your banking structure is configured. Recent increases in interest rates provide a great reason to examine who you are banking with, how your funds are allocated and what services you are paying for.

Let’s start with your checking accounts. Some common accounts are operating and payroll accounts. These accounts typically do not earn interest, but rather receive an “earnings credit” each month based on the balances kept in the ac-counts. This credit is then used to offset fees on the account(s). The earnings credit is usually less than the fees for the month, so you still end up paying bank fees; however, the net amount is reduced due to the credit. If your earnings credit is more than your fees, you will not re-ceive the difference - it will be lost. This is a clear sign that you are keeping way too much money in your checking ac-

count! See the latter part of this article for investment options.

Without an opportunity to make money on funds in your checking account, the best you can hope to do is keep your fees low. Remember that your total fees are the net of your earnings credit and your gross fees. Thus, examine both components when evaluating your checking account(s). Earnings credits vary from bank to bank, and change at each bank without notice. Do you know the earnings credit rate you are currently receiving? Do you know what earnings credit rate other banks are paying?

While maximizing your earnings credit is important, your best bet for mini-mizing total bank fees is to look at the gross fees you are charged each month. You should receive a fee analysis or statement from your bank each month. If you don’t, call your bank and ask for this report to be sent to you monthly. Fees can change without notice, and you want to review this analysis on a regular basis. The best way to reduce fees is to have as few accounts as pos-

sible. Many firms can operate with a single checking account. Do you really need a separate payroll account or other checking accounts? Each account that you have carries a separate basket of charges. Look at your monthly fee statement and identify the charges that you can eliminate by simply reduc-ing the number of accounts that you have. (Ask your banker for help if the fee analysis report is confusing.) Once you are down to the fewest number of accounts possible, review the services that you are paying for every month on the account(s). Again, work with your banker to understand every line charge on the statement. Think about what you are paying for, whether you actually use that service and/or whether you need that service. You may be paying for obsolete choices made 15 years ago.

So now you’ve got your checking account(s) in good shape – earning the highest rate and paying the least amount of fees possible. Your next step is to keep as little in these accounts as possible. Despite receiving an earn-ings credit in your checking account(s), you will typically always earn more on

Finance

A Fresh Look At BankingBy Ken Koehn

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 29

your funds by investing them, rather than keeping them in the checking account(s). Thus, strive to invest the bulk of your funds, while keeping only enough in your checking account to pay immediate bills. So how should excess funds, not immediately needed, be invested? Common options are 1) a money market account 2) CD’s and 3) a sweep account.

A money market account is a good option for investing funds for the short term. Money markets can currently be found that pay 1.5%-2.0% on an annual basis. This rate is considerably higher than the earnings credit rate for a checking account. Thus, by doing nothing more than keeping excess cash in a money market account, it is possible to significantly increase the amount earned on that cash. The one caveat to a money market account is that you are typically limited in the number of withdrawals you can make in a month – 6 withdrawals/month is a common number. Thus, you could not move money every day. However, you could plan to move money once a week, and still have an extra withdrawal or two available for unusual circumstances. In the event you exceed your allowed number of transfers, you would pay a fee, while still being able to make the withdrawal.

Certificates of Deposit (CD’s) are another option for investing excess cash. They are bought in a specific amount with a fixed maturity date. For exam-ple, a $250,000 CD with a 12/31/2019 maturity date. The rate paid will rise the further out the maturity date is. CD’s are a longer-term option due to the maturity date factor. In a worst-case scenario, a CD can typically be cashed in before maturity with a possible penalty depending on how interest rates have changed since purchase. Thus, a prudent plan is to split the amount you wish to invest in CD’s into the purchase of multiple CD’s so that single CD’s can be prematurely cashed in if necessary,

As Chief Financial Officer of Gould & Ratner, Ken Koehn has two top priorities: provide strategic counsel to the firm’s Management Committee and direct the firm’s daily accounting and financial activities. Ken and his team further ensure the firm’s success and growth by providing a variety of financial reporting and analyt-ics, as well as facilitating efficient billing and collection processes that drive client satisfaction and retention.

Ken’s experience includes over 20 years in senior financial executive positions for Chicago law firms such as Vedder Price and Much Shelist, as well as other firms in the professional services and trading industries such as Jump Trading, Sun Trading and Valuemetrics. An active member of the Association of Legal Administrators, Ken is currently Vice President Elect and Treasurer of the group’s Greater Chicago Chapter, and has been elected to the Cer-tification Committee at the national level. He is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Institute of Management Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society.

without incurring a penalty on all the CD’s. CD’s often pay a higher rate of return than money market accounts, but this higher rate comes with the loss of freedom to easily use the invested funds. Plus, in an environment where interest rates are changing rapidly, it could be possible to be locked into a CD and find that money market rates

have risen higher than the rate paid on the locked CD. There’s no certain best course of action with investments, just better odds.

Sweep accounts and/or zero-balance accounts (ZBA’s) are other options for investing your excess cash. These accounts work by sweeping excess cash (as defined by you) into an investment vehicle every night, and then bringing the invested funds back the following morning. They can be expensive due to the fees incurred, and require more bookkeeping than money markets or CD’s. However, with large dollar

Finance

amounts, they may be a good option to be discussed with your banker.

The last thing to think about with your banking is diversification. FDIC insur-ance is generally capped at $250,000 per bank. Hopefully, the days of banks shutting down are behind us, but keeping all your funds in one bank, particularly if they are significantly more than $250,000, does carry some risk. Splitting funds between banks provides cover if a bank were to experi-ence problems. This could extend to simple IT problems, not just liquidity issues. What if your bank’s online plat-form is down, or you/they have been hacked, or any number of other issues that could come up? It’s always good to have a backup bank. If your primary bank is some distance from your office, maybe open a small petty cash account at the bank in your building. If your primary bank is a client, maybe open an account with a GCC business partner as insurance.

Above all else, make sure to get to know your banker(s). Keep asking questions. Ask for their advice. Make sure that you understand every fee and credit. Don’t get complacent – something that works well in 2018 may be woefully under-performing in 2019. Pay atten-tion to banking on a regular basis to make the most from your funds. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Again, work with your banker to understand every line charge on the statement. Think about what you are paying for, whether you actually use that service and/or whether you need that service.

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For the sake of appeasing psychologists who believe precognition abilities, in fact, do exist, clairvoyance would certainly prove a benefi-cial tool in conquering the seemingly arduous task of budget development.  However, for the vast majority of us who do not possess these skills, outlining a solid budget process is critical to the end result.  The mechanics of the process of developing a sound budget is the foundation of setting, monitoring and achieving strategic goals.

The predictive nature of budgeting lends itself to more of an art form than a product of science. Arming individuals involved in the process with an overall understanding of the corporate strategy, budget development guidelines, access to effective software tools, and clear communication sets the scene for a streamlined and effective budgeting practice devoid of frustrations. Critically evaluating the final budget and proffering reporting tools for accountability safeguards the success of your budget.

Understanding the Firm’s strategy pushes contributors to make sound budgetary deci-sions that support the overall goals of the or-ganization. The strategic goals of a business regulate how aggressive or conservative the

Budgeting – A Roadmap to Success By Jamie Henss

contributors are required to be when setting their budgets. It is important to recognize these goals in order to prioritize budgets based on demand over desire. Knowing the expectations ahead of time allows the contributors to design budgets from the start that are in line with strategic objectives, thus requiring fewer revisions down the road.

Clear budget development guidelines offer a roadmap of expectations to the contribu-tors. Budgets are typically completed under a hefty time constraint, often after the third quarter actual statistics are available, and completed in its entirety to be slated for final approval prior to the fiscal year-end. Stan-dardizing expectations for budget develop-ment limits hiccups, asserts timeliness and streamlines processes.

After third quarter actual statistics are final, a forecast for the fourth quarter allows con-tributors to offer updates to the original cur-rent year budgeted figures. This exercise lays the groundwork for developing the budget as it creates a viable reference to the most recent fiscal year. Historical trends and variance analyses are essential data points used for set-ting budgets in subsequent years. It follows the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality,

where tried and true prevails.

Income and expense are key elements to every budget. Revenue budgets are created by looking at historical trends and assess-ing how your expected drivers will impact the budgeted year. In the legal realm, it is confirming your anticipated mix of headcount, demand and contract rate sup-port your revenue goals. After contributors compile expense budgets, review sessions to discuss individual line item accounts allow dedicated reviewers to pare down on specific accounts to better understand reductions, increases and to question value relative to strategic goals. The budget process includes both operating expense and capital items that remain on the Balance Sheet while monthly depreciation is expensed to the operating accounts. Planning for the unex-pected is also important, though difficult to assess. The budget process is designed for the contributors to set challenging goals that are also achievable.

The order of developing a revenue and expense budget is unimportant. Do you have enough revenue to cover your costs, or are your costs lean enough to be covered by your revenue? However you look at it, the

Finance

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Jamie Henss is Senior Manager of Financial Reporting and Analytics at Husch Blackwell, LLP. She has nearly 15 years of experience in finance in the legal industry.

ultimate goal is creating a balanced, sensible budget where revenue relative to expenses outlies an agreeable overage that supports your fiscal financial goals.

Access to valuable budgeting software is important to simplify the process and al-leviate the burden on the contributors. The budgeting process relies heavily on review of historical trends and variance analyses. These factors allow contributors to identify areas within the budget that need improvement, further expansion on what warrants the change and how significant the variance will impact the budget. A robust budget software is an essential tool in the budgeting process, as the contributors need simplified access to these statistics in an easily navigable platform in order to create a sound budget. Effective software also automates processes, enhances workflow, and maintains an organized means of compiling and tracking budget data.

Communication is key. Deadlines should be clearly outlined and communicated at the very onset of the process, well ahead of the

Finance

first deadline, to allow ample time to plan and schedule. With many moving parts to the budgeting process as a whole, and roles of varying degrees, transparency in expectations and commitment to the process is important. Establishing a dedicated individual as a point of contact can also ease any uncertainties about processes, expectations, and programs, and should be available to answer questions and resolve issues quickly, given the time constraints.

Critically evaluating the budget is a crucial step, and arguably the toughest, to determine if the final outcome aligns with the strategic goals. After compiling the different segments of each contributor, the profits and losses must have a favorable result. Ultimately the success of the budget is determined if there are enough profits remaining to pay the Shareholders/Partners in line with their expectations.

Reporting tools available for tracking force accountability from contributors. Expense reports that can be accessed at will allow

immediate analysis at the individual level. Those responsible for creating their respec-tive budgets have the ability to easily identify areas that need improvement. Reporting tools help monitor successes, control spend and predict profits.

It is imperative for each contributor to understand the vital role they play in the process and how their budgetary decisions impact the economic performance of the company. This, in turn, facilitates owner-ship and accountability, and forces them to exercise fiscal discipline. The process is designed to ensure a favorable fiscal outcome as a unified organization, and with the right tools and guidance, a well-developed budget can be a roadmap for the future successes of the company. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

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This article describes some financial and management reports which, if properly and systematically prepared and utilized throughout the year, will keep the managing partner, management committee, partners and the administrator aware of their firm’s financial affairs to provide for the expected economic results at year-end. It must be emphasized however, that no report will be of any benefit unless it is used as a basis for action. The report itself will not create action. Action must be initiated by an individual or governing body, whether it is the managing partner, management committee or administrator.

Time, Costs and Billing ReportsTime management is financial management, and as far as a law practice is concerned, time is money. The more effectively lawyers and paralegals manage their time, the greater control they have over their financial well-being, and to that end an informed management leads to effective management. Attorneys cannot manage their time unless they are informed about areas where they can eliminate waste or improve efficiency and concentrate on matters that contribute to the profitability of the firm.

Time records must be maintained as a matter of routine, daily. Assisted by in-house computer systems, partners in most firms are able to obtain billing work sheets with all necessary diary data. For example, a billing partner can obtain a billing work sheet containing all time recorded by attorneys and paralegals within a one-day time lag. Therefore, it is imperative that all attorneys and paraprofessionals actually submit time reports daily. In this regard there are two reasons firm management needs to know when timekeepers fail to submit their time: (1) to follow-up on delinquent timekeepers, and (2) to inform the billing partner that the time of certain attorneys and paralegals is missing, so that this information may be obtained prior to rendering the bill.

Slow Billing Not UnusualMany lawyers are slow to bill clients for work performed. They frequently defer the billing of work well beyond the time at which it could reasonably be billed. A well-conceived management information system should require lawyers to periodically focus attention on unbilled work and costs. Every client matter should be

Utilizing Financial and Management Reports to Enhance Revenue and Profitabilityby Joel A. Rose

assigned to a partner who will be responsible for billing that matter. Each month this billing partner should receive a computer report showing the name of the client, client matter, billing cycle (monthly, quarterly, or annually) date the last bill was sent, whether it was fully paid, time-dollar value charges for the current month, all unbilled time charges, and the same information for disbursements. He or she has only to return this report to the accounting department, requesting a billing work sheet, to obtain all the detailed information required to bill the client.

The managing partner, management committee and administrator should receive additional computer reports to assist in keeping track of partners’ effectiveness in satisfying their billing responsibility. One type of report usually contains a summary of unbilled time and costs by billing partner and enables the reader to quickly check which partners have accumulated significant amounts of unbilled time. This report also shows whether the firm’s total inventory of unbilled time is increasing or decreasing. Another important report shows the unbilled time by work category. To accumulate information for this report, each new matter accepted by the firm should be classified in a predetermined work category, and input into the data processing reporting system to provide information about unbilled time and costs by specific types of work. A fourth type of report shows unbilled time or costs over a predetermined dollar figure.

Working Capital NeededAt this point, it should be noted that the decision on whether or not to bill needs to be given careful consideration, since working capital is required to carry unbilled time. The smaller the amount of unbilled time, the fewer demands imposed on the firm for cash, and the more likely that the unbilled time can be billed and collected at full value. When cash is not tied up in unbilled time, distributions can be made to partners on a regular basis. The greater the delay in billing or the amount of time charges which remain unbilled, the less likely that the firm will collect the full value for the time of its attorneys and paralegals. Conversely, the more promptly a matter is billed, the more likely that the firm will collect the full-time value. Also, billing clients in smaller amounts, but more frequently, often produces larger overall fees.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 33

To enable ready identification of clients and matters which are not being given the necessary billing attention, a special computer report should list matters where the unbilled time or costs exceed a predetermined dollar figure. This report enables firm management to pinpoint items requiring special attention. With this type of report in hand, the managing partner can talk to the billing partner and obtain a bill, or at least some justification for further delay in billing.

Other Suggested ReportsTwo other recommended management reports are those where there has been no time recorded, or where no bill has been rendered to the client for a predetermined period of time. The cut-off period for this report could be four months, eight months, or some other interval. It is important to identify the matters which are inactive. A firm can end up writing off a large part, or even all time devoted to a matter, because of the failure of attorneys to bill promptly. Management reports should not be cluttered with a lot of detail, they should contain summaries of data. They should enable anyone to readily identify the problem areas. Detailed information is always available on other reports as required.

Another important area where slippage can occur is in billing for costs advanced. For all intents and purposes, the clients are “using” the firm’s money. Even clients who insist on being billed annually or at the end of a case should be billed to pay costs advanced at regular intervals. There is no justification for not billing costs advanced at least quarterly or every six months, or when they exceed a reasonable amount.

Firms should encourage their clients to pay lawyer costs directly, e.g., litigation expenses such as costs of deposition transcripts, expert witness fees and the like. To the extent that clients are not willing to pay these costs periodically, the firm should be concerned about whether they will honor its bills for services rendered.

Accounts Receivable ReportsManagement efforts do not end with the billing of time and costs. After bills are submitted the accounts must be reviewed until paid in full. To aid in this surveillance, the managing partner, management committee and administrator need information about accounts receivable to enable them to identify delinquent accounts. Firms should age their accounts receivable at set intervals, e.g., thirty, sixty, ninety, 120 and over 150 days.

There is no one way to collect overdue accounts receivable. The starting point is with the billing partner. After appropriate reminders by the managing partner or management committee, the responsible billing partner should determine the proper type of follow-up action to collect the receivable. Different firms employ a variety of approaches. In some situations, it may be sufficient to send a reminder statement. Most firms can routinely print such statements. In other cases, it may be desirable for the billing partner to telephone the client. In some extreme cases a personal visit to the client is needed. If the billing partner is unsuccessful in collecting the outstanding receivable, the delinquent account should be

referred to the managing partner for collection, or to a designated “collection partner” for appropriate follow up. In some instances, a firm may decide that it will not perform any more legal work for that client (assuming of course that if this is a litigation matter, the firm will be allowed to cease work on that client’s file).

If the type of financial information described above is received in a timely fashion, it can be used effectively. Improving the timeliness of the billing cycle or reducing the inventory of accounts receivable cannot be achieved unless a firm has the necessary data. The managing partner of a mid-size law firm we recently worked with said, “You cannot achieve prompt billing or reduce accounts receivable unless you have the necessary information before a ripe situation rots.” Financial information is basically a management tool. Only the reports that are necessary for lawyers to discharge their billing, or other responsibilities should be disseminated to the partners as a whole. Lawyers not charged with management responsibility generally do not want to be burdened with having to read four or five inches of monthly computer print-outs.

Profitability ReportsPerhaps the most sensitive area of management activity is the evaluation of attorney performance and results. The best results are achieved only when lawyer management and the administrator are given financial and management data so that they can reach informed conclusions in order to manage the firm wisely. Traditionally, clients have always been evaluated by several standards. One important standard is whether the client matter produces fees above or below the recorded time-dollar value. The managing partner, management committee and administrator need to know whether clients, and specific matters handled for them, are paying their way in terms of billable and collectible fees. This information, typically presented on a consolidated profitability report, shows fees received from each client, broken down by the billing partner and alphabetically by client. The report shows the time billed, time removed from the books, difference between the time billed, time removed from the books, and the variation above or below the time-dollar value charges. Firms having in-house computer systems can produce similar data for costs advanced.

Since some lawyers are better at billing than others, lawyer management needs something more concrete than a guess if it is going to confront a partner about poor billing performance. The profitability report provides that something.

The firm should also know how well or poorly it is doing month-by-month in order that firm-wide trends can be identified. A report on monthly time and costs billed, arranged by billing partner and alphabetically by client, shows the time billed, time removed, and amount of profit or costs attributed to each billed and collected item. The same data should be shown for costs advanced. In short, these reports will enable the firm to evaluate its clients, billing partners, and overall effort month-to-month and from a financial point of view.

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Billings by Department or Practice Area ReportsAnother evaluation of significant importance in planning the firm’s future development is the analysis of billings by work category. This analysis highlights types of work which the firm may or may not wish to emphasize. Initially, all clients should be classified as individual, corporate, etc. Then each client matter should be further classified into predetermined departments or practice area work categories. Periodically, the managing partner, management committee and administrator should receive a report on the profitability or costliness of these work categories. A report for individual clients with a breakdown by work categories shows which type of work produced billings in excess of the time-dollar value and which did not. For example, the preparation of individual tax returns is an area where many firms lose money, and therefore, may be the type of work that should be de-emphasized.

Many attorneys provide “general or personal representation” to selected clients. Some methods should be employed to provide specific information on this broad category. One report that could be provided may include the names of clients listed alphabetically, time billed, time removed and profit or costs year-to-date. Again, the reader can tell at a glance whether the work in any given category is profitable or not. The managing partner and administrator would also be able to determine which clients contributed most to the result and whether it was good or bad.

In addition to evaluating its clients and types of work, the firm should also review its lawyers (individually and by group). This is a most sensitive area, since being judged by one’s peers can be traumatic. It would be naive to suggest that the evaluation is simply a matter of looking at the fee-producing hours which a particular lawyer records. There are many other factors that should be considered in making any meaningful evaluation.

Dissemination of Management ReportsMost firms have addressed the questions of how much financial and management information should be disseminated and who should receive this data. In many larger firms selected individuals such as the managing partner, members of the management committee, department heads and the administrator may receive a monthly report of the time performance of all timekeepers, individually and by practice area. Billing partners receive monthly reports of the time performance of all timekeepers, and billing and receivable status of all client matters for which they are responsible. A report showing each timekeeper’s actual time for the month and year-to-date should be compared with his or her budgeted income figure. From this report department heads can concentrate on workload distribution by assignment of work.

It is also helpful to have fee producing hourly-time information reported for all of the departments in the firm in summary fashion. This information can be quite valuable in long-range planning. It is

possible to see which departments are overworked, which need more associates, and where there may be some slack.

Non-Billable Time and Administrative Time ReportsA monthly report showing predetermined categories of nonfee-producing time should be prepared in order to evaluate a firm’s progress toward its overall objectives. From this report the managing partner, department heads and administrator can determine whether the firm is achieving its goal of increasing activity in the field of lecturing, writing articles, and other forms of business development, etc. Reviewing this report will determine whether the firm is maintaining a substantial commitment to the bar and law related organizations. For example, suppose a firm had decided that for every ten hours of fee producing time, one hour should be devoted to pro bono work. Work in this category would highlight the ratio of pro bono time to fee producing time. It is also possible to determine whether the firm is increasing or reducing the amount of time devoted to firm administration.

The “right” kind of management data will permit a law firm to effectively evaluate its success in attaining a variety of goals. If a firm decides that it wishes to grow at a specific rate, it may very well have to exercise some selectivity in the work it accepts. There is no better way to do this than to include the most profitable work and exclude the least profitable. Without the type of management reports described above, the selection process becomes little more than guesswork. Good firm management should strive to minimize the guesswork when attorneys and administrators are attempting to manage their financial affairs. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Joel A. Rose is a Certified Management Consultant and President of Joel A. Rose & Associates, Inc., Management Consultants to Law Firms based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He received a B.S. from New York University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of Business, University

of Pennsylvania. Joel has extensive experience consulting with private law firms and performs and directs consulting assignments in law firm management and organization, strategic and financial planning, lawyer compensation, the feasibility of mergers and acquisitions and marketing of legal services. He has extensive experience planning and conducting retreats and special expertise resolving problems among and between lawyers.Joel is a member of the Law Practice Committee of the New York State Bar Association, an associate member of the American Bar Association and a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. He is listed in Who’s Who in America. Joel may be contacted at: jrose [email protected]; P.O. Box 162,Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08003; (856) 427-0050. His website is www.joelarose.com.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 35

Invoices Court briefings

Following general correspondence items, invoices and court briefings are the most common documents moving to digital formats

Overnight shipping is essential for contracts and client proposals, which are the documents least likely to move to digital formats

Client proposals & contracts

+50%

Will invest in marketing and branding in 201446%

More than half of respondents report that printing a firm’s logo or branding on an express shipping envelope is beneficial

UPS surveyed 450+ attendees at the 2013 Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) National Conference to uncover the most pressing business and operational challenges and key focus areas of law firms in the future.

ALA MEMBER SURVEY: PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY TOP OF MIND

The greatest day-to-day challenges

56% Time management

46%

30%

Managing costs & expenses

Office inefficiencies & technology issues

Key focus areas for law firms in 2013

87% of respondents identified

client service as their top priority

Reported marketing and branding as a key focus in 2013

31%

49%47%

41%

$

Clientservice Business

development Costmanagement

Nearly half of ALA members surveyed reported that their firms plan to invest in technologies in the next year to increase competitiveness and grow their business

For more information on UPS services and solutions, contact:

© 2013 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark and the color brown are registered trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

TECHNOLOGY & EFFICIENCY CLIENT SERVICE

DIGITAL VS. PAPERMARKETING & BRANDING

49%

EXPRESS ENVELOPE

YOUR BRAND HERE

Anthony Perrino at 630-800-6654, [email protected], or visit ups.com/professional.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 36

When reviewing a new request for credit or when performing a periodic review of a law firm who is already a client, commercial banks typically consider more than just the firm’s financial statement. Everything from the type and reputation of the firm to its exposure to industry consolidation or changes in the economic cycle to whether there’s been a change in the top 10 clients or top 10 billing attorneys also are considered.

Of course, there are the natural questions you’d expect:• Does the firm distribute more than it makes in a given

year?

• What are the funds being used for?

• Is there a portion of debt that does not revolve and if so, would it be prudent for the firm to reduce that amount over time and/or consider hedging interest rate risk associated with long term borrowings?

• Does the firm need a letter of credit to back its lease payments?

• To what extent has the firm retained capital throughout the years?

• Do the Partners/Shareholders provide personal recourse under the firm’s loan(s)?

• What is the legal form of organization? (e.g. Partnership, PC, LLP, LLC, etc.)

Then there are further questions that will help the bank understand the long-term stability of the firm such as how much hiring is taking place or how many employees are leaving. What is the firm’s strategic approach to managing expenses? Is revenue concentrated among a few clients and how are individual practice groups performing? Understanding the strategy of the firm as well as potential obligations helps to round out the picture.

Examples of these questions include:• Is there an adequate succession plan in place?

• Is the ownership of the firm equitably distributed based on partner billings?

• What is the firm’s Capital Program for its Partners (or Shareholders) and is there a need for a Capital Loan Program?

• Is there a pension in place and is it adequately funded?

• Are there significant retirement payments owed to founding partners and, if so, is there a reserve in place?

• What is the firm’s go-to-market approach as it relates to its proportion of Equity Partners, Income Partners, Associates, etc.?

How Banks Assess the Credit Worthiness of Law FirmsBy Kristen P. Freund

Finance

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 37

There a few factors that help banks to identify the healthiest firms. Strong firms generally:• Manage cash flow well.

• Limit distributions to that year’s pre-distribution net income.

• Tie Partner/Shareholder compensation to realization rates and actual collections.

• Manage the client base to avoid continual and excessive billing disputes and extreme seasonality.

• Have operating cash flow sufficient to cover annual needs and seek term debt to finance longer term.

• Use lines of credit to bridge intra-year seasonal timing differences between cash distributions and cash collections and then reduce line borrowings to $0 for a sustained period during the year.

• Have strong collection practices and realization rates for accounts receivable and work in process (generally 85% or higher).

• Have consistency and moderate-to-low concentration in top clients year over year (unless the work of the firm is

more ‘one time’ in nature such as class action, plaintiff personal injury, etc).

• Have diverse sources of revenue across practice groups.

• Are more likely to remain independent or acquire talent or another firm vs. being acquired.

• Use term debt tied to a specific event (such as tenant improvement expenditures for an office move) and amortize over a reasonable period of time.

• Utilize fraud protection services on operating accounts and remote deposit and/or lockbox services to speed collection of receivables.

• Optimize revenue and expenses through a healthy balance of Equity and Income Partners and Associates. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

Finance

Kristen P. Freund is a Managing Director for CIBC. She leads the Bank’s Law and Service Firm group and welcomes the opportunity to assist law firms and their Partners/Shareholders with their specific banking needs. Contact information: [email protected]; 312.564.1268

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 38

As a newly minted CLM (Certified Legal Manager), I would like to share this very positive experience. I took a while to decide to become a CLM. I am also a licensed CPA with an MBA, and I honestly wasn’t sure the CLM process would add value for me, but I see now how much it did. Within a week of taking the exam, no less than three situations arose where I was able to use knowledge gained during studying. I was amazed that the work paid off so quickly, and those “a-ha” mo-ments continue.

Once I decided I wanted to be a CLM, I reviewed the CLM hours requirement. The hours needed are rigorous. Principal Administrators need 10 hours in certain areas, within the last two years. Functional Special-ists (like me) need another 15 - see www.alanet.org/education/certification for more details. I already had a lot of the needed hours, but I was short in a couple areas. ALA headquarters can go over the hours of any potential applicant to see what is missing. By attending the national conference, an applicant can definitely get the core 10 hours in the required areas, with some planning. For functional specialists, the other 15 can be acquired through other seminars or a second national confer-ence. Online education can also be used, but only for some of the hours.

Once I had my plan to obtain the needed hours, I joined our chapter’s amazing study group. The group was led by Mary Ann Rojas, Karen Hammersmith and Ken Koehn, all CLM’s. Our chapter’s study group is famous in the national ALA com-munity. Many ALA members, from many states, dial in and participate remotely. The sessions focus on the various areas covered by the exam, namely HR, Finance, Operations and Legal Industry/Business Management. The study group was very well organized, with good handouts and helpful conversa-tion. Close to the May 2018 exam, ALA headquarters released a study guide, which was also a great resource. I read it on my own and integrated it into my study notes, but I know the study group is also working to incorporate this new material.

I prepared for and attended each one-hour weekly meeting, plus did reading on my own. About a month before the exam, I buckled down and started creating about 225 index cards, which is how I prefer to capture information I need to remem-ber. There are also online flash cards that I found out about after I was 100 cards into the process – I recommend exploring that tool as well. Some of the exam requires memorization, but it’s more about how to apply the information. The ques-tion won’t be “How many employees does a company need to

be subject to FMLA”; it will in-stead be along the lines of “ABC Law Firm has 25 employees. One full-time, two year em-ployee aged 30 just had a baby. What federal laws will apply to this firm?” and a list of possible choices of several different laws will be given. Rote memoriza-tion will get you part of the way, but knowing how to apply the information is critical.

The test is taken online, at vari-ous testing sites. I had not taken an online test of this kind before, so I was anxious. I explored the website of the test company, Pearson VUE, and saw how the test application was set up. It had an online calculator, a place to make notes like scratch paper, and the ability to flag questions I wanted to review again. Checking the site online made me much more comfortable about this new online testing experience.

It took about three weeks to get the results, and I was so happy to see I passed! My Executive Director (and Chapter Presi-dent) Mike Motyka graciously made a firm-wide announce-ment about my accomplishment. He also discussed the CLM at a partners’ meeting so they would understand the demands and complexity of the credential. Several partners later told me they were glad there was a credential like the CLM, especially for use in future hiring. Let’s face it – attorneys are very credential driven, and they appreciate it when someone takes the initiative to have their knowledge certified with a credential. It is a lot of work and effort, but I enthusiastically encourage everyone to take the exam. It is worth it! ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

My CLM ExperienceBy Barbara Javorcic, CPA, CLM

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 39

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Got CLM?

Our Chicago Chapter study group is wrapping up its regular study sessions and moving into its review sessions in prepara-tion for the November exam.  We will start a new study group in mid-December for the Spring exam, and we would love to have you join us.  Even if you are on the fence about sitting for the exam, come experience a session or two with us, or just come to review a topic that may be of interest to you!  Contact Mary Ann Rojas at 312.768.7810 or [email protected] if you have questions.

Sample quiz questions from a recent session on office leasing:1. A Holdover provision may result in the Tenant having to

do the following (select all that apply): A. Pay 150% or 200% of the last month’s rent B. Pay Landlord’s legal fees or other associated damages C. Leave all of Tenant’s furniture in the space at the end

of the lease D. None of the above Answers:  1 – a and b, 2 – d, 3 - d

2. An Estoppel Certificate is provided by the Landlord to the Tenant when a Landlord is:

A. Refinancing the building B. Selling the entire building C. Selling a portion of the building D. All of the above

3. A Subordination, Non-Disturbance & Attornment Agree-ment (SNDA) provides a Tenant with confidence that the lender will acknowledge and honor the lease terms in the event that:

A. The Landlord has a mortgage on the building B. The Landlord defaults on its mortgage C. The Lender takes control of the building D. All of the above

Please contact: Mary Ann Rojas, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CLMPugh, Jones & Johnson, P.C.312-768-7800 - [email protected]

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 40

I was excited when I learned that the 2018 ALA Regional Legal Management Conference – East would be held at the Palmer House here in Chicago from September 13-15. The proximity of the Conference made it more likely that I would be able to attend, and I looked forward to it. However, this excite-ment turned to apprehension when six days before the Conference was scheduled to begin, workers at 25 Chicago hotels, including the Hilton Palmer House, declared a strike and walked off the job, demanding among other things year-round health care during lay-off periods as part of their contract negotiations. Thousands of housekeepers, doormen, cooks, and other employees were picketing around the clock in front of their respective hotels, including in front of the Palmer House.

Being from a union household (my husband has been a labor attorney for over three de-cades), I faced the dilemma of whether or not to cross the picket line in the event the strike was not resolved quickly, which of course it was not. I weighed my union loyalty and my support of my husband’s profession against my desire to attend the conference and my obligation to attend given that my firm had spent good money for my registration fee. I received emails and articles from my hus-band about OTHER conferences which had changed venues at the last minute to avoid crossing the picket line. No pressure at all.

I contacted Laura Sears to see if she had heard any news from the Conference organizers ad-dressing the strike and/or the issue of crossing the picket line, but the only communication from ALA Headquarters just assured everyone that the strike should not affect attendees’ ho-tel stay in any way, and that “While you may see demonstrators, the hotel has assured us

that we should not experience any issues with our event.” Not that I expected any other re-sponse; moving an event of that size to a different venue, even if another location could be found at the last minute would be next to impossible. Espe-cially considering that workers at 24 other hotels (including the Hyatt Regency, Sheraton Grand, and JW Marriott) were

also on strike. But I could hope, couldn’t I? Unfortunately, it would have to be my per-sonal choice and decision whether or not to cross that line and attend.

I did end up attending, although I snuck in through the State Street side entrance so I wouldn’t literally have to cross the picket line to enter the hotel. A technicality, I know, but it made me feel a little better about myself. Meanwhile, at the main entrance on Mon-roe, workers with picket signs, noisemakers, whistles, and music marched back and forth, enjoying the camaraderie and cheering when passing cars honked their horns in solidarity.

As far as I could tell, the Conference did go off without a hitch. The sessions (at least the ones I attended) were well at-tended and the content was excellent. The meals were tasty and served timely. The Exhibit Hall was comfortable and

well laid out. The Loom (ALA’s Community Service Project) display was colorful and sales were brisk. While I did not stay overnight at the hotel, I heard few complaints about the hotel service other than perhaps waiting a bit longer than usual for check-in or to have the room made up.

I am happy to report that Hilton became the second major hotel chain to settle with the striking workers, reaching an agreement with the union on October 1. The deal ensured that hotel workers will keep their healthcare if they are laid off during the slower winter months. I was relieved that the strike did not linger for months and that no one lost their jobs over it. That helped assuage my guilt for crossing the picket line. Although I find myself in good company, since the New York Yankees were criticized recently for crossing the picket line at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston where they stayed during the first round of playoffs with the Red Sox.

Am I glad that I crossed the picket line? Yes and No. I still feel guilty, but I did reap the benefits of attending an excellent conference with many worthwhile benefits including:

• Fabulous networking time with my GCC colleagues

• Meeting new “friends” from other chap-ters

• Listening to fabulous, insightful speakers• Purchasing a lovely sweater from Loom• Visiting with our supportive Business

Partners• Enjoying the classically beautiful Palmer

House hotel• Wearing a Superman wrist band and pin

in support of Steve Wingert

All in all, it was worth it. ADMINISTRATOR’S ADVANTAGE

ALA Regional Legal Management Conference (East) – A Striking EventBy Jane Klenck

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 41

Our chapter has several great committees and they are looking for a few good volunteers. Being on a committee is a great way to get to know people and get to know a little more about the Chapter. Below is a list of the committees. Check out some great ways to get involved.

BUSINESS PARTNER RELATIONS COMMITTEE - Members serving on the Business Partner Committee assist in planning the Chapter's Bi-annual Educational Conference and Business Partner Expo; speak with business partners about sponsorship and advertising opportunities; publicize and promote the Chapter to the legal and business partners community; and obtain business partner sponsorship for educational events. Contact: Anna Sorensen at [email protected]

COMMUNICATIONS/WEBSITE COMMITTEE - Committee members will assist in the routine maintenance of both the Chapter website and the Chapter's listserv databases. Members also will participate in website initiatives and projects as directed by the Board. Contact: Michelle Howe at [email protected]

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE - The Diversity and Inclusion Committee strives to foster inclusion by creating an awareness and appreciation for the value of diverse perspectives in all aspects of the legal profession. This committee is responsible for providing the educational resources, programming and training necessary to support our members in the recruitment, retention and development of a diverse workforce. Our commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion extends beyond our membership to include our business partners, vendors, and the overall legal community. Contact: [email protected]

EDUCATION COMMITTEE - This committee is responsible for the education of the Chapter. The Professional Development Director works to plan the Bi-Monthly Chapter Luncheons and other educational events. Also, every other year, an educational conference is held, and this committee is responsible for planning the topics and speakers for that event. Committee members are asked to assist in determining education topics of interest for our members, identifying motivating and enlightening speakers, planning and coordinating all the logistics for the luncheons and registering and welcoming members to our sessions. Contact: Patti Winter at [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE - As part of this committee, you will have the opportunity to welcome new members by making a welcome phone call; greeting them at meetings; sending a welcome email; or introducing them to other members at an event. The committee prepares Member Profiles for the bi-monthly newsletter and assists with various membership drives to increase chapter membership and encourage existing members to renew. Contact: Kat Denk at [email protected]

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE - This is your opportunity to assist in the preparation of our award-winning newsletter! Committee members can write articles; interview members and business partners; take pictures of Chapter meetings, activities and events; assist in editing and proofreading; and ensure that all ALA and Chapter events are advertised. If being involved in getting the latest ALA news out to the membership interests you, this is the committee for you. Contact: Susan Burdett at [email protected]

SURVEY COMMITTEE - Committee members assist in the design and review of the Chapter's annual compensation survey, bi-annual benefits survey and any other opinion surveys for members and business partners. They also encourage others to participate in the various surveys, including phone calls, emails, and announcements at meetings. Surveys are an important way for the Chapter to determine if the needs of the members and business partners are being met. Contact: Barb Javorcic at [email protected]

Get Involved!

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 42

Next DayPhone: 847.631.3445

[email protected]

Order by 7pm

The Chicago Bar Foundation’s Fall Benefit has grown to be one of the signature events in Chicago’s legal community, with over 2,000 guests in attendance. New this year, the CBF is offering food and bar sponsorships, where your company could be featured on signage next to some of the most popular destinations at the event. This family-friendly event is a great opportunity to support the work of the CBF in improving access to justice for people in need and making the legal system more fair and efficient for everyone. This year’s event will be held at the Museum of Science and Industry on November 17 from 6:30-10 p.m. Please contact Elena Dennis to learn more at [email protected] or visit the CBF Fall Benefit website for information on sponsorship levels. chicagobarfoundation.org/fall-benefit

22nd Annual CBF Fall Benefit

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 43

Let’s collaborate and develop solutions to best fit your needs. WE SEAMLESSLY BECOME PART OF YOUR TEAM.

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September / October 2018 The Administrator’s Advantage 44

A Chapter of theAssociation of Legal Administrators

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