NLS

02/08/12 - D/FW Bounces Back

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal Dallas-Fort Worth is one of 13 of the nation's top 100 labor markets that have bounced back during the recession, having regained all of the jobs that were lost in the five years following 2006.

01/03/12 - Weil Ranks First in Diversity for Dallas-area Law Firms

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal For the fifth consecutive year, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP ranked first for law firm diversity, according to the just-released results of the Dallas Diversity Task Force. K&L Gates LLP and Vinson & Elkins LLP ranked second and third, respectively, followed by Fulbright & Jaworski LLP and Jones Day.

11/30/11 - Legal Hiring Trends and Hot Practice Areas

If you are an attorney, paralegal, legal assistant, legal secretary or other legal professional looking for a legal job, you may take some comfort in knowing that although the overall legal job market remains flat, there are few bright spots out there. Despite a challenging economic climate, a recent survey among attorneys revealed that about one-third of law firms intend to add staff in the third quarter of 2011. Let's take a brief look at where the legal openings are: Lateral partners As always, lateral partners with a book of substantial portable business will travel. Despite the constant demand, these partners were reluctant to jump ship in light of the economic turmoil. However, it appears that lateral partner movement is on the uptick as partners are more willing to explore a move to a smaller boutique practices. They also, of course, continue to dance with other AMLAW 250 firms. Intellectual Property/Patent Corporations are continually seeking to value and defend their intellectual property assets and patent prosecution is on the rise. Thus, intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution is an area where demand for top legal talent is in demand. Associates with three or more years experience and support staff with on pint experience can expect to fare well. Commercial Litigation: When times are good, litigation is strong; and when times are bad people still sue each other. Recent surveys suggest that law suit filings are on the uptick which will create a steady need for experienced commercial litigation personnel. Bankruptcy/Foreclosure Defense: Judging by the lagging economy, there appears to be no imminent end in sight for this hot practice area. A second wave of foreclosure filings is forecasted to begin during the latter part of 2011 and stretching into 2012. As unemployment rates remain high, businesses struggle, and savings are depleted, rest assured that bankruptcy will continue to be a busy practice area for quite some time. Environmental/Regulatory Law: a heightened awareness towards environmental concerns is leading to increased regulations concerning environmental initiatives. Attorneys - - especially those with environmental/science backgrounds - - will be in demand to properly advise clients how to "go green" in a compliant manner. There has been and will continue to be a move among large firms to set up specific green practice departments. E-Discovery Practice: It's hard to believe just how quickly and deeply e discovery has become in recent years. Consequently, e-discovery attorneys and associated litigation support professionals are in demand to identify, review, and produce e discovery. This practice area will likely only increase with time and those with the technical know-how can expect a lucrative career.

10/25/11 - Texas Leads Nation in Jobs

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal Texas has been a better job generator during the recession than any other state since 2007, according to an analysis of unemployment data by On Numbers. Texas ranks number one in the analysis, having generated 157,400 nonfarm jobs since 2007. That's an increase of 1.51 percent during that period, On Numbers said. North Dakota led the nation in percentage increase at 10.41 percent, having created 37,400 jobs during that period. According to On Numbers, 45 states lost jobs since 2007, with California leading the way with a loss of 1.09 million jobs. That's a loss of 750 jobs per day during that period, On Numbers reported.

10/11/11 - Largest Denver-Area Law Firms

As reported in the Denver Business Journal Largest Denver-Area Law Firms Ranked by number of Denver-area attorneys as of Feb. 1. 1. Holland & Hart LLP, Denver — 195. 2. Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, Denver — 135. 3. Sherman & Howard LLC, Denver — 134 4. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, Denver — 113. 5. Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, Denver — 113.

10/03/11 - D/FW is Fourth Nationally in Addition of New Jobs

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal. The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks fourth nationally in adding jobs in the past 12 months, according to an analysis by On Numbers of figures released Wednesday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . DFW added 50,200 nonfarms jobs between August 2010 and August 2011, the analysis showed. Houston led the nation with a gain of 65,600, the study showed. Seventy seven of the 100 largest metropolitan areas added jobs during that period, according to the analysis. New York City and Boston were ahead of DFW.

09/01/11 - Dallas/Fort Worth Ranked Third Nationally for Addition of Private Sector Jobs

The Dallas-Fort Worth ranked third in the nation out of the top 100 metropolitan areas in adding private sector jobs in the past year, according to an On Numbers analysis of data released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Between July 2010 and July 2011, DFW added 67,400 private sector jobs. Overall, 86 of the top 100 metro areas added jobs, according to the analysis. The New York City area had the largest increase in raw numbers, adding 83,000 private sector jobs between July 2010 and the same month this year. Houston was second with an additional 67,900 jobs, according to the analysis.

08/02/11 - Texas Tops Nation in Job Growth

As reported by the Dallas Business Journal When it comes to adding jobs, nobody is bigger than Texas. That's the conclusion of an analysis of non-farm jobs between June 2006 and June 2011 from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by On Numbers, a feature of American City Business JournalsbizWatch . On Numbers reported that Texas added 537,500 non-farm jobs during that period, which is nearly 10 times as many as second-place finisher Louisiana, which added 55,900 jobs. North Dakota topped the country in percentage gain at 11.84 percent. Texas had a 5.35 percent increase in jobs during that period.

07/01/11 - D/FW in Top 10 Best Places for Business and Careers

The Dallas-Fort Worth area fares well in the 13th annual list of Best Places for Business and Careers issued by Forbes magazine. Dallas ranked No. 10 on the list and the Fort Worth-Arlington area ranked No. 16, according to Forbes. No. 1 on the list is Raleigh, N.C., and Des Moines, Iowa. The magazine cited Texas cities as among the most-business friendly in the nation because of the state's low-cost, pro-business regulatory environment and said the state was one of the last "to succumb to the recession and one of the first to bounce back." Other Texas cities high in the rankings were Austin at No. 7, San Antonio at eighth, Houston at 19 and El Paso at 36. At the other end of the spectrum was California, which was home to eight cities that ranked in the bottom 25, the magazine said. Forbes based its ranking on past and projected job growth, costs of business and living, income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth. It also factored in such things as crime rates, cultural and recreational opportunities and net migration patterns. Also, the magazine looked at the number of highly ranked universities in an area.

06/01/11 - Dallas/Fort Worth Area Leads Nation in Job Growth

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal The Dallas-Fort Worth area tops the nation in job growth, with Houston coming in second. The two metro areas have added 134,200 non-farm jobs in the past 12 months, according to figures released Wednesday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's the equivalent of 368 new jobs every day. Dallas-Fort Worth leads the country with an increase of 83,100 non-farm jobs between April 2010 and the same month this year. Houston is No. 2 with a gain of 51,100. Rounding out the top five are the Chicago (up 37,100 nonfarm jobs), Los Angeles (up 36,200) and Washington (up 25,700) markets.

05/10/11 - Hottest Law Firm Practice Areas for 2011

In the midst of all the changes occurring -- or at least being talked about -- in the legal profession today, many people forget that two of the basic principles that successful firms have always followed have not changed: 1. They focus their resources on developing certain practice areas. Some of these areas are "standards" -- they are always in demand. Others are cyclical, depending on the economy, new legislation by Congress or new regulations by federal and state governments. 2. They identify certain trends, some of which will be short-lived and others that will be permanent, and capitalize on these trends. PRACTICE AREAS: The following areas are red hot, not just locally but nationally: 1. Regulatory: Although Dodd-Frank and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will continue to face challenges, both political and legal, regulation is a major issue. It particularly impacts certain industries -- health care, financial services, pharmaceutical and energy. Closely related to this area is ... 2. Government Affairs: A growing number of firms are creating government affairs groups because of the increasing role of government, both federal and state, in business and legal matters. 3. Health Care: Covers many specific practice areas and all types of providers. 4. Energy: Particularly oil, gas and nuclear. Gas has become red hot in Pennsylvania and New York because of the proposed regulations from the Delaware River Basin Commission that will impact the Marcellus Shale gas play. 5. Labor & Employment: One of the "standard" areas referred to above that is always in demand, L&E is becoming even hotter because of wage-and-hour actions, government investigations in the health care industry and, of course, in Wisconsin, Ohio and perhaps soon in Pennsylvania, movement to strip collective bargaining rights from public sector employees. 6. Immigration: Arizona is just the tip of the iceberg. 7. White-Collar Crime: Heating up due to financial fraud investigations and continued violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. 8. Litigation: Despite the trends moving toward alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) and for corporations to reduce spending on outside legal counsel, the number of cases being filed continues to rise dramatically. Construction litigation and complex, "bet the company" cases are red hot. Patent litigation continues to be hot and school-based litigation is getting hot. However, also hot in some firms is ... 9. Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR): Both mediation and arbitration, because of the high costs of litigation and delays in the courts.

04/06/11 - Denver's Economic Recovery one of the Swiftest in United States

As reported in the Denver Business Journal Denver and Colorado Springs as well as two other mountain-states metro areas have experienced "some of the swiftest recoveries in the nation" from the recession, according to the latest "Mountain Monitor" report from Brookings Mountain West. The study, issued Monday, also ranks Denver as one of six mountain-state metros that exceeded the national rate of job creation in the fourth quarter, although unemployment remains high. Brookings Mountain West is a joint venture of the Brookings Institution and the University of Nevada Las Vegas that studies the region's economy. The report says that on the whole, the cities of the mountain west -- defined as Colorado as well as Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico -- "outperform national peers on measures of recovery," especially Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. It says that Denver; Ogden; Phoenix; Provo, Utah; Salt Lake City; and Tucson, Ariz., "beat the national rate of job creation" in the fourth quarter, although it noted that no mountain West city has fully regained jobs lost in the recession, and that the region's employment levels "still sit below the nation's." The Brookings report said that employment in Denver has grown 0.8 percent above its recession "trough." But it also noted that unemployment rates climbed in Denver and most other mountain-states cities through 2010 while rates declined modestly in most other U.S. cities.

03/04/11 - Denver one of few U.S. Markets where Economy Expanded

As reported in the Denver Business Journal Metro Denver saw a modest expansion of its economy in 2009, one of a relatively few U.S. markets to avoid a contraction that year, according to new government data. Eighty of the nation’s 100 biggest markets suffered economic contraction in 2009 in terms of a reduction in their gross metropolitan product, or GMP, according to a report Wednesday from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

01/17/11 - Denver Ranked 9th Best City for Finding a New Job

Denver is again ranked No. 9 on the list of best cities for finding a new job, according to a report released Wednesday. The CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index for December sandwiched Denver between New York and Philadelphia. Washington, D.C., was the best city for finding a new job, followed by Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Atlanta and Chicago. The index shows managerial hiring activity based on online job postings, and includes 30 metro areas. The number is tied to population. Overall hiring fell in December across the country, according to the index, but a 26-point bump in the index over December 2009 indicates a “substantial job market recovery over the past year.” Except for August and September, when Denver fell out of the top 10, the Mile High City has remained in the No. 9 spot since January.

12/22/10 - Denver is the Nation's 6th-best City for Business

As reported in the Denver Business Journal Denver is the nation's sixth-best city for business out of 102 major metro areas, MarketWatch declares in its annual ranking. "[A] perennial top 10 city, Denver continues to attract businesses of all types looking for quality of life," the business-news-and-information website says. It says Denver "seems to have no trouble attracting new companies," noting the recent decision by kidney-care giant DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) to locate its headquarters here. MarketWatch, which has compiled its ranking for four years, evaluated 102 large cities, using a variety of measures that break down into two categories: "company score," the concentration of businesses within a metro area, and "economic score," which takes into account unemployment, job growth, population growth, personal income and local gross domestic product. It said it used more metric categories this year than before, partly to better reflect tourism business and the economic impact of military bases.

12/08/10 - 2011 is Looking Better for Summer Associates

As reported by the American Bar Association Some large law firms are planning to step up their hiring of summer associates for 2011 after a year of cutbacks. The Am Law Daily talked to sources, some of them anonymous, at a handful of firms and learned they are planning to increase their summer associate classes. Although the numbers won’t reach the high levels of 2009, "even modest jumps are what pass for good news these days," the story says. The Am Law Daily identifies these firms as planning increases: • Cravath Swaine & Moore, planning to hire about 75 summer associates for 2011, compared to 23 this year. • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, planning to hire about 100 summer associates, or possibly a little more, compared to 79 this year. • Ropes & Gray, planning to hire more summer associates than this year’s 82, with the number probably reaching the triple digits. • Jones Day, expecting to recruit more than the 124 summers hired for 2010.

11/08/10 - Colorado and Texas Ranked in the Top Ten States for Business

As reported by the Denver Business Journal: Colorado ranks number six, and Texas ranks number nine, on Forbes's annual list of the best states for business. The rankings are based on business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. Business costs -- including labor, energy and taxes -- are weighted the most heavily.

10/01/10 - Dallas in Top List of Rebounding Economies

Dallas is one of 35 metropolitan areas deemed to have a rebounding economy by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and has posted the second strongest employment gains in the last year in the nation. On the flip side of the economy, 65 job-losing metropolitan areas were labeled as sinking, with Detroit and Dayton suffering declining employment numbers for 10 consecutive years. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington market gained 28,700 jobs – a 1 percent increase – between August 2009 and August 2010. Job gains in North Texas were topped only by New York, which added 42,200 jobs in the last year. Austin was also deemed a rebounding economy – its 2.5 percent increase in employment was the nation’s largest year-over-year increase.

09/07/10 - Denver Job Market Sees Improvement

Denver-area headhunters say business is picking up significantly, and that job-changing is likely to rise even more in the second half of 2010. Headhunters are seeing growth across divisions, both on the permanent-placement side and on the temp and temp-to-hire side. It appears that companies are starting to grow, and business is changing, so they’re slowly rebuilding their teams. Some companies, seeing better times ahead, are seeking talent while the labor pool is still deep. There is some contrarian hiring going on. People in building products and construction, for instance — normally, you’d think that their business is way down and they wouldn’t be hiring. But some people are saying, "Let’s access talent now," when they might be able to access that talent a little cheaper. It might be tougher to get those people when the economy is really robust. They’re building up their team for the future. Lateral law partner hires remained strong in 2009, even as law firms slashed headcount. But associate hiring seems to be coming back this year. Many Headhunters report that contract work is way up, for contract attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries. That tends to be a good indicator of where the economy might be in six months. As staffing needs for contract help increase, there will generally be a need for permanent associate hiring six months later. As job growth slowly resumes, many employees and managers who avoided layoffs during the recession but were unable to advance their careers are beginning to look around for better opportunities. A survey taken in late 2009 found that 60 percent of employees planned to leave their jobs as soon as the market improved. An annual survey published in August 2009, found that 55 percent of employees planned to change jobs or return to school as soon as the economy improved.

09/01/10 - D-FW One of the Fastest Job Gainers

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington submarket posted one of the largest year-over-year employment gains in July, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The North Texas submarket saw the number of employed increase by 31,300 in the D-FW-Arlington market, ranking No. 2 in the nation behind the Washington, D.C. area. Overall, unemployment rates grew in July.

08/02/10 - Texas Cities Hold Top Job Growth Spots

As reported by the Dallas Business Journal: Dallas-Fort Worth and the three other major Texas markets registered the nation’s strongest employment gains during the past five years, according to figures released Wednesday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dallas came in No. 2, with 71,300 private-sector jobs created between June 2005 and June 2010. It follows No. 1-ranked Houston, which gained 129,800 private-sector jobs. Austin came in third, with 56,100 new private-sector jobs; San Antonio ranked No. 4, with a gain of 32,600 private-sector jobs. Los Angeles posted the nation’s sharpest decline since 2005, losing 376,400 private-sector positions. Other big drops were reported in Detroit (down 328,800 in five years), Chicago (down 253,000) and Miami-Fort Lauderdale (down 165,800). Eighty-four major markets suffered declines in private-sector employment during the half-decade; only 16 finished on the upside. The news was a bit better for the short term, with 24 markets enjoying increases between June 2009 and June 2010. Austin had the biggest one-year gain, up 8,400 private-sector jobs. Dallas ranked third, with 4,800 private-sector jobs created between June 2009 and June 2010. Houston, however, came in at a disappointing No. 95, with a loss of 31,300 jobs during the most recent year. Chicago had the biggest one-year drop, with a loss of 83,400 private-sector jobs.

07/02/10 - D/FW is Nation's Fastest Growing Region

As reported in the Dallas Business Journal Of all major markets in the country, Dallas-Fort Worth showed the most growth in recent years, adding 1.3 million people between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2009, according to a report from the Census Bureau and CNNMoney.com. D-FW now has a population of 6.5 million people, growing 25 percent during the period measured. Atlanta and Houston also experienced significant growth. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert told CNNMoney that a growth has been spurred in part by a favorable business climate: no corporate income tax, reasonable building costs and minimal regulations. The report also mentioned Dallas/Fort Worth International, the third busiest airport in the nation: "Dallas has no port," said Leppert. "The airport became a 21st century port." Read more: D-FW is country's fastest-growing region - Dallas Business Journal

06/01/10 - Denver and Dallas Listed in Top 10 of Nation's Strongest Economies

As reported by the Denver Business Journal Denver has the nation’s third-strongest economy out of 366 metro areas, based primarily on two decades’ worth of jobs and income data, according to a report released Wednesday by economics research firm Policom Corp. It’s the highest ranking ever for Denver in Policom’s annual report. The Denver area moved up from seventh place last year, 17th in 2008 and 19th in 2007. To compile its report, Florida-based Policom said it measured 23 different economic factors from 1989 to 2008. Positive factors in the rankings include wages and income broken down in several ways, plus jobs in key sectors; negative factors include welfare and Medicaid spending. “The top rated areas have had rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time,” William Fruth, president of Policom, said in a statement. “The rankings do not reflect the latest ‘hotspot’ or boom town, but the areas which have the best economic foundation. While most communities have slowed or declined during this recession, the strongest areas have been able to weather the storm.” The company did not release details of data that went into each city’s ranking. Among other Colorado cities: • Colorado Springs ranks No. 40, up from No. 73 last year. • Grand Junction ranks No. 84, up from No. 106 last year. • Boulder ranks No. 87, up from No. 102 last year. • Greeley ranks No. 88, up from No. 150 last year. • Fort Collins-Loveland ranks No. 103, up from No. 114 last year. • Pueblo ranks No. 293, up from No. 331 last year. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area is rated No. 1 in the report, followed by: * 2. Washington, D.C.-Arlington, Va.-Alexandria, W.Va. * 3. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield. * 4. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas. * 5. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, Calif. * 6. Salt Lake City. * 7. Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa. * 8. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. * 9. Madison, Wisc. * 10. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas. Policom specializes in analyzing local and state economies. Read more: Denver has nation’s 3rd strongest economy, says Policom - Denver Business Journal

05/07/10 - North Texas Economy is Showing Signs of Recovery

As reported by the Dallas Business Journal - April 2010 Economic activity in the Eleventh District, which includes all of North Texas, is showing signs of economic recovery, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said in its latest Beige Book Survey Wednesday. The survey of local professionals found that sources in the high-tech manufacturing area, as well as those in retail, residential real estate, staffing and energy are reporting a higher demand for goods and services. Professionals working in areas that still lag behind – commercial real estate, financial services, construction and manufacturing – indicate that their industries are nearing the bottom. An uptick in raw material prices for steel, fuel, cotton and sugar are squeezing margins for many industries, which must keep prices low due to weak demand. Additionally, crude oil prices rose to more than $80 per barrel in late March. Layoffs have subsided across the board, but companies are still hesitant to hire new employees. Staffing firms noticed more hiring activity, as did companies specializing in energy service, transportation and manufacturing. Sales increased in the retail sector, with large discount chains seeing significant demand for electronics and household items. The auto sector said inventories remain lean, but sales rose over the last six weeks. Prices on automobiles are flat. In the professional services sector, accounting firms said demand is sluggish outside tax-related services. Demand for legal services remains flat at lower levels, with the exception of attorneys working in the energy sector. Strong demand from overseas increased activity for transportation firms. Housing contracts were improved showing more favorable conditions. Builders also said sales in the first three months of 2010 were strong. Apartment demand is described as “meaningfully positive.” In commercial real estate, respondents gave mixed reviews. Most estimate the market is nearing the bottom. They also noted a drastic reduction in rental rates on renewals. In the financial services arena, loan demand remains soft, but is showing signs of stabilization. Read more: Dallas Fed: North Texas economy perking up - Dallas Business Journal:

04/05/10 - Texas Cities Ranked in the Top for Young Adults

As reported by the Dallas Business Journal Go Southwest, young man or woman. At least that's what a new study is suggesting young adults do in today's economy. Whatever you do, don't go to Detroit. The Southwest has become the new frontier for young Americans — the region where men and women in their 20s and 30s have the best chance of establishing themselves in a recessionary economy. Several Southwestern metropolitan areas, including No. 7 ranked Dallas-Fort Worth, rank among the nation’s eight best places for young adults, according to a new Portfolio.com/bizjournals study. Another Texas city – Austin — ranks No. 1 Explore an interactive map of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas and how they stack up as best places for young adults. Washington, Raleigh and Boston are the three runners-up in the study’s rankings of the best places for young adults. They’re followed by four Southwestern metros — Houston, Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa — that occupy fifth through eighth places. Portfolio.com/bizjournals analyzed the 67 U.S. metros with populations above 750,000, searching for qualities that would appeal to workers in their 20s and early 30s. The study’s 10-part formula gave the highest marks to places with strong growth rates, moderate costs of living and substantial pools of young adults who are college-educated and employed. Quick look at the top 10 metros for young adults: 1. Austin: The Texas capital’s two dominant qualities were noted above. But its attractiveness to young adults is broadly based. Austin ranks among the 10 leading markets in five of the 10 categories that were analyzed. 2. Washington: Educated young adults flock to Washington, where 35.8 percent of all 18- to 34-year-olds hold bachelor’s degrees. The study group’s median is 23.2 percent. Per capita income ($56,510) is well above average. 3. Raleigh: This is the fastest-growing major metro in the nation. The population of the Raleigh area is increasing by 3.9 percent a year. That’s more than triple the pace for the typical market, 1.2 percent. 4. Boston: Elite universities such as Harvard and MIT give Boston its intellectual cachet. The local share of young adults with college degrees (37.6 percent) is the highest in the country. 5. Houston: Employment opportunities abound in Houston. Its job-growth rate (1.7 percent a year) ranks among the five best in the nation, as does its annual upswing in per capita income (6.6 percent). 6. Oklahoma City: The unemployment rate for young adults is lower here than anywhere but Salt Lake City and Tulsa. Oklahoma City also enjoys the nation’s third-best pace for annual income growth, a rapid 7.2 percent. 7. Dallas-Fort Worth: The recession caused some backsliding in 2009, but Dallas-Fort Worth still has 206,000 more jobs than it did five years ago. Local population is zipping higher by 2.4 percent a year. 8. Tulsa: Here’s an area that’s a true bargain. Median rent is $508 a month in Tulsa, the third-lowest figure in the study group. Compare that to such budget-breakers as San Jose (median rent of $1,334) or Honolulu ($1,227). 9. Seattle: This high-tech metro offers a wide range of good-paying jobs. Seattle ranks among the 10 markets with the largest per capita incomes ($50,471) and smallest unemployment rates for young adults. 10. Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana is on its way back from the wrath of Hurricane Katrina, and this is one of its success stories. Baton Rouge boasts a high concentration of young adults (26.1 percent) and a strong rate of income growth. The least desirable market for young adults, according to the Portfolio.com/bizjournals study, is Detroit, which shares the pain of the major automotive corporations based there. Detroit is saddled with the nation’s worst unemployment rate for young adults, the slowest rate of income growth, and the biggest decline in overall employment. A total of 343,700 jobs have disappeared from the Detroit area during the past five years. Two Midwestern industrial markets and two Sunbelt metros round out the bottom five. These areas may differ in geography, but they share a lack of attractiveness to young adults: Cleveland (66th place); Dayton, Ohio (65th); Tampa-St. Petersburg (64th); and California’s Riverside-San Bernardino area (63rd).

03/07/10 - Law Firms are Projected to Increase Business in Litigation and Restructuring

As reported by Northwestern University Law School's Center for Career Studies As the economy continues to adjust to last year’s downturn, transactional work has suffered. Areas hardest hit include M&A (-8%), general corporate (-9%), real estate (-13%) and capital markets (-14%). However, restructuring (up 18% in activity in Q3 2009) remains strong and growth has been experienced in litigation practices (+1.8%), as well. IP litigation was down at the start of the year but demand has risen in recent months, leaving year-to-date growth flat. In light of shifts in the demand for legal work, existing and new work is available. Areas in which law firm leaders expect to see the most revenue growth in 2010 are litigation and restructuring. It is believed that the Build America Bonds arising out of the stimulus package will lead to new bond work, as well as ancillary work connected to bond-related building projects. Similarly, as new regulations are approved, related work will grow within the law firms.

02/02/10 - Law Firms are Expected to Start Hiring in 2010

As reported in the Denver Business Journal Law firms likely will begin hiring cautiously in 2010, as the industry slowly recovers from a year that’s widely considered to have been the worst in decades. “The hiring situation is definitely looking much more positive than it was in January 2009,” said Mala Saraogi, director of placement services in Denver for Robert Half Legal, the legal staffing division of Robert Half International. “The economy is showing some nascent signs of recovery. Although law firms and legal departments are taking a cautious approach to adding staff, they’re definitely considering it. They’re leaning toward contract staffing just because they’re waiting for consistency in business ... but when they see more consistency, they’ll be more amenable to direct hires.”

01/02/10 - Texas Cities Listed in the Top 20 Best for Finding a Job

Austin ranked No. 10 on a list the best cities for finding a job. Job-search engine Juju.com compiled the ranking by dividing the number of unemployed in 50 metros, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the number of jobs in Juju’s online index. Austin came in just below San Antonio, which ranked 9th best job market in the nation. Houston was the lowest of Texas cities on the list at No. 24, while Dallas came in 17th. The top five cities were Washington D.C., San Jose, Calif., Baltimore, Boston and New York.

11/06/09 - When the Economy is Down, Business Lawsuits Rise

As reported by the Denver Business Journal: Businesses are facing and filing more lawsuits these days, a situation that may intensify over the next year. People fight harder for their position when the economys down, said Bob Miller, a partner at Perkins Coie LLP in Denver who specializes in complex commercial litigation. Nationwide, 42 percent of corporate counsel say they expect their companies to face increased litigation over the next 12 months, compared with 34 percent who expressed that opinion in the previous year, according to a survey released this month by Houston-based law firm Fulbright & Jaworski. Eighty-three percent of the lawyers surveyed said new litigation had been filed against their companies in the past year, up from 79 percent the previous year. Most of the increase is coming in bankruptcy, contracts and labor/employment areas, according to the survey; more modest increases were cited in intellectual property, insurance and regulatory actions.

10/13/09 - Report: Texas Economy Poised for Rebound

As reported by the Dallas Business Journal - The Texas economy is predicted to begin a slow, steady recovery in 2010, according to an economic report released Monday. After a small contraction in 2009, the state’s gross domestic product is expected to increase by 1.7 percent in 2010, aided in part by a surge in home sales, according to economists with BBVA Compass. The GDP of the entire country, by contrast, is predicted to increase by only 0.2 percent next year. The bank’s U.S. Regional Watch third-quarter report released Monday, said that although the worst of the economic crisis has passed, fiscal pressures will affect some states more than others and dictate the pace of their recovery. Though 48 states predicted budget shortfalls at the beginning of the year, with Texas projecting a 9.5 percent deficit, it is the only state among the seven Sun Belt states covered by BBVA Compass to forecast a balanced budget in 2010. “Texas has fared the best with revenue growth exceeding the U.S. average,” the report said. “The higher than average growth throughout 2008 could be one of the reasons that Texas is better positioned with a smaller than average budget gap going into FY2010 and no expected gap for FY2011.” The report also said that Texas will benefit the most from funding through the federal government stimulus program, considering the amount of money to be received by the state equates to its entire 2009 budget shortfall. Although the commercial real estate market is expected to face difficulties into 2010, home sales across Texas are predicted to increase by 4.5 percent in 2010 after declining by 12 percent by the end of 2009. The report compared the outlook for the seven states within the BBVA Compass Sun Belt footprint — Texas, California, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida and New Mexico. BBVA Compass is the U.S. banking arm of Spanish financial services giant Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA. The holding company for BBVA’s U.S. operations is based in Houston.

09/13/09 - Employer Survey: Talent Still Hard to Find

As reported by the Denver Business Journal - With many professionals looking for jobs, one would think hiring managers can take their pick of qualified candidates. Not so, according to a study of 501 hiring managers, which found that 44 percent of resumes presented to hiring managers are submitted by unqualified applicants. The 2009 EDGE Report also found that 47 percent of hiring managers cited under-qualified applicants as their most common hiring challenge. Two-thirds, or 68 percent, of managers surveyed said they were willing to cut pay, hours and benefits to avoid losing talent through layoffs, while 36 percent said they would rehire people who were laid off. About 61 percent said they are willing to pay for qualified candidates and would negotiate higher compensation if that meant getting the right person for the job. While the job market remains ultra competitive, more than half of the managers surveyed said they plan to hire full-time employees in the next year.

08/02/09 - Law Firms Leaders Feeling Less Grim About the Future

A June 2009 survey conducted by Law.com shows that law firm leaders feel the economy is stabilizing and could even improve over the next six months, according to a survey from Citi Private Bank. About two-thirds of the 133 managing partners or chairmen surveyed said the economy is the same or better than six months ago, and 59 percent expect a stable or improving economy over the next six months.

06/17/09 - Healthcare and Family Law Practices See an Increase Even with the Economic Downturn

Unlike in other practice areas, client demand in the health care arena is rising, mainly because companies want to prepare for the Obama administration's anticipated health care overhaul. As a result, firms are recruiting corporate, regulatory and transactional lawyers who have experience with health care, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Attorneys have also been busy advising clients on M&A activity, as the health care industry hasn't been as affected as others by financing issues. The economy has family law attorneys working double-time as hard financial times are wreaking havoc on America's broken families. Lawyers who specialize in divorce and custody disputes say they have witnessed a flood of activity in family courts in recent months. "This is a great time for wealthy people to get divorced because their assets are down," says Lynne Gold-Bikin, who heads the family law practice at Philadelphia's Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby.

05/11/09 - Top 10 Interview Questions for Young Associates

1. Why are you interested in this firm? 2. Why are you leaving your current firm? 3. Why did you go to law school? 4. Do you think your grades are an accurate reflection of the work you do as an attorney? 5. What would you say is your greatest weakness? 6. Tell us about a recent mistake that you have made and what you did to correct it. 7. What do you do for fun? 8. If you don't get hired by this firm, what will you do? 9. Do you have any questions for us? 10. Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? It is always a good idea to ask for the job, if you are interested, before leaving. Finally, one should follow up with a hand-written thank you note after the interview.

04/13/09 - Staffing Companies Match People to Jobs Every Day

On an average day in 2008, U.S. staffing companies employed 2.66 million workers,according to the American Staffing Association quarterly employment and sales survey. Over the course of 2008, staffing firms hired an estimated 11.2 million temporary and contract employees. Law firms and corporations see temporary staffing as a way to "get the job done" while they wait on the economy to strengthen in order to hire permanent employees again.