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For Immediate Release: October 16, 2005

New Business Advice Column for Attorneys Launches in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

Readers of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly opened their papers yesterday to find a new business advice column for attorneys, written by one of the country's top law business experts, Ed Poll, JD, MBA. CMC.

The new column, branded the "Coach's Corner," made its inaugural debut yesterday and will appear each week as part of the newly signed agreement between Lawyers Weekly, Inc., The Massachusetts Lawyers, and Poll's own firm, LawBiz® Management, Co. Poll's column will address timely issues relevant to the day-to-day management of a law firm, and offer readers practical advice for operating a more profitable law practice.

The column can also be read on the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly website www.masslaw.com.

"I am very pleased to become part of the Lawyers Weekly family and look forward to suggesting additional ways for its readers to become more effective with their clients, more efficient in their practice, and therefore, more profitable," Poll says.

Ed Poll is a leading authority in the field of law practice management and the President of LawBiz® Management Co., a firm that consults with and coaches lawyers and law firms throughout the United States, Mexico, and England. He is the author of several best-selling books on the topics of law practice management, including his new book, Selling Your Law Practice, just released in September.

In yesterday's column, entitled "Repairing from a disaster is different than preparing for a disaster," Poll used the effects of Hurricane Katrina as a lesson on what to do after your law practice is struck by disaster.

"Disaster for any law firm is not a question of if, but rather of when," Poll wrote. "The only unknowns are the type of disaster, when it will occur, and how bad it will be. Whether it's a hurricane or earthquake, a fire or a burst water pipe, the real issue goes beyond disaster planning – it's making a recovery that ensures the survival of the firm."

Poll first became involved with disaster preparedness as a result of 9/11. At the time, many of his large firm clients found themselves unprepared for disasters. Poll launched a roundtable of these firms to create a template for future preparedness. As a result, many of these larger firms are now better prepared for larger disasters.

Yesterday's column reflected some of Poll's lessons, both past and present.

"I'm writing this immediately after a power outage hit the entire city of Los Angeles, once again highlighting that a disaster can be as huge as Katrina and as small as an hour's disruption of power," Poll concluded in his column. "As I said before, it's not a question of if, but when the disaster will hit you!"