Event Information

Law firms may report strong top-line growth, but behind the numbers, many face a tougher financial reality. Write-offs, rate pressure, aged work in progress, billing delays, and slower collections can quietly erode profitability even when revenue appears strong.

This timely, practical session will explore why revenue growth can create a false sense of financial strength and what legal administrators should watch more closely. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the operational and financial factors that determine whether work performed actually becomes profit and cash.

Designed for legal administrators and firm leaders, this program will translate complex financial concepts into practical business insight. The session will focus on the metrics and behaviors that most directly affect profitability, including realization, lockup, collections, margin leakage, and accountability. Participants will leave with a sharper lens for evaluating financial performance and a stronger understanding of how to help their firms protect profit in a more demanding legal market.

Key Takeaways

1. Why revenue growth can be misleading
   Understand why rising revenue does not always translate into stronger profit.
2. Where profitability is lost
   Identify the hidden points of erosion, including write-downs, billing delays, aged WIP, discounting, and slow collections.
3. Which metrics matter most
   Learn how realization, lockup, collections, and margin analysis provide a more accurate picture of firm performance than revenue alone.
4. How administrators can influence profit
   Explore the practical ways legal administrators can improve financial outcomes through stronger discipline, visibility, and follow-through.
5. What firms can do now?
   Leave with actionable ideas to reduce margin leakage, improve cash conversion, and support stronger overall profitability.

SPEAKER:

Chris Sims, CPA, is the Director of Finance at Shartsis Friese, LLP, where he leads financial and accounting operations and partner compensation. He oversees budgets, forecasts, cash flow, and monthly reporting, and collaborates with the Firm's Controller on systems and reporting transformations inherent to the workflow.   His depth and breadth of experience and sense of humor allow him to make financial topics accessible to non-financial professionals. He is frequently sought out to speak at ALA events. 

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Zoom link and passcode will be sent after you register for this event.

CLM® Recertification Credit: 1.0 hour(s) in the subject area of Financial Management.

CLM® Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 1.00 hour(s) in the subject area of Financial Management towards the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill the CLM application requirements.

ALA East Bay Chapter - Event Registration List (ebala.org)