Why this report, why now? We began 2020 in bright spirits and bountiful economic conditions; by early March all that had changed. Economic adjustments were made and, overall, firms ended the year in much better shape than their spring worst-case projections anticipated. Some firms were even close to their original 2020 profit expectations to date – largely due to quick actions to curtail expenditures as COVID-19 got underway in the US. Adjusting the Numbers: The Future of Finance in Law Fi...

The legal profession, like so many other fields, has continued to reel from the deep-reaching and significant impact of the 2008 financial crisis. In the years following the crash, a general downward turn in the demand for legal services compelled firms to tighten their belts, make tough decisions, and come up with innovative strategies in order to survive. One of these was an increased focus on profitability and different means of managing and improving it, a relatively new development fo...

Profit. What a simple term. To determine it, all one needs to do is take revenue and subtract costs and there you go: profit. From there it’s easy to determine a percentage and margin. So what’s so hard about law firm profitability? Profitability in Law Firms: Insight and Analysis provides practical and proven strategies for law firm leaders and managers who want to take their firms to the next level of performance and profitability. How can they increase their profitability and efficiency...

The CoinWhen a metal detectorist is found dead in a farm field, Agnes is called in as a historical consultant due to the detectorist unearthing a rare medieval coin.Discovering an ancient pilgrim's path nearby, she launches her own investigation and uncovers facts missed by the police.Facing resistance from detectives, hostile social media, and a truculent farmer, Agnes pushes forward — culminating at a detectorists' dig event where she reaches a su...

Three books for the price of 1.The Brell Sturlach Adventures (Books 1–3)A science fiction action-adventure series. Intriguing storylines. Interesting characters. Humour. No romance.Brell Sturlach, late thirties, former senior Police Corps officer, convict, and cargo pilot, is never far from trouble… but is determined to rebuild her life despite past regrets.In Deep Yellow, she is in prison, after a career destroying incident, when she is selected to take part ...

Agnes Beck, a history graduate, investigates two intriguing mysteries set within a small English rural town.The JigsawWhen Agnes buys an old jigsaw puzzle at a jumble sale, she discovers it once belonged to a teenager who vanished without a trace years ago. Teaming up with a determined friend and a retired detective still haunted by the case, Agnes sets out to uncover the truth behind the disappearance.(Under 2 hours read)Where the bones lieA skeleton u...

When Brell Sturlach takes a job handing out leaflets onboard a cruise ship heading out into space, she believes it will be a stress-free week. However, an arrogant prince, the commander-in-chief of a royal army, is intent on taking over the ship with his troops to victoriously return to his home planet in readiness to become king. Except the prince did not take into account a woman with Police Corps and prison experience; and... a robot army.This book can be read on its own or as p...

Brell Sturlach, in her early forties, is a disgraced former Police Corps senior officer, ex-convict and now cargo pilot. When her friend's daughter, Spinney, is reported missing, Brell investigates the circumstances.After initial enquiries stall, Spinney appears as a contestant on Cirkus Disturbanze, a bizarre fight to the death media show, run by a decadent crime boss. Brell vows to find Spinney, whatever the personal cost.With little information available, and after Police ...

In the period from 1500 to 1800 the problem of violence necessitated asking fundamental questions and formulating answers about the most basic forms of human organisation and interactions. Violence spoke to critical issues such as the problem of civility in society, the nature of political sovereignty and the power of the state, the legitimacy of conquest and subjugation, the possibilities of popular resistance, and the manifestations of ethnic and racial unrest. It also provided the raw m...

Billie, a loner security guard, convinces herself that a reclusive author can provide vital information on the whereabouts of her missing brother. The brother she swore to protect after a family tragedy ten years ago. She must overcome her aloofness and engage with strangers in order to progress her investigation. Things take a turn when two bumbling criminals kidnap the author. As their paths cross, events soon spiral downwards, propelling Billie into a desperate fight for her own surviva...