Business Strategy

for Partners
in Law Firms
 Better business insight, better legal advice
In today’s business landscape, corporations look to their law firms to be more than the providers
of standard legal services—they expect them to be trusted advisers and knowledgeable
business partners. Those who cannot fulfill this role are being quickly relegated to commodity
service providers forced to compete on price and often with the company’s own internal
legal team. To meet these increased expectations and ensure that they are providing the highest
level of value, law firms need to be able to provide thoughtful guidance that accommodates
not only the law but also the strategic direction of client companies. This new HBS Executive
Education program provides the business knowledge required to understand how clients
formulate and execute strategy and how law firms can add value in this process.

Ramon Casadesus- Robert G. Eccles Lena G. Goldberg Ashish Nanda Felix Oberholzer- Robert C. Pozen Dennis A. Yao
Masanell Gee

THE FACULTY
Harvard Business School Executive Education programs
are developed and taught by a core faculty of HBS
professors who are skilled educators, groundbreaking
researchers, and award-winning authors. Faculty leverage
their business expertise and field-based research to
create new knowledge and enduring concepts that shape
the practice of management. The result is a teaching
team that exposes participants to multiple perspectives,
challenging their thinking on many levels. Please visit
www.exed.hbs.edu for more detailed biographies.
Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Associate Professor
of Business Administration. Member of the Strategy Unit.
Robert G. Eccles, Senior Lecturer of Business
Administration. Member of the Organizational Behavior
Unit; and faculty cochair of Building Client Management
Capabilities in Professional Service Firms.
Lena G. Goldberg, Senior Lecturer of Business
Administration. Member of the General Management Unit.
Ashish Nanda, Robert Braucher Professor of Practice
at Harvard Law School. Faculty chair of Executive
Education; and Research Director, Center for Law and
the Professions.
Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Andreas Andresen Professor
of Business Administration. Member of the Strategy Unit;
faculty chair of “Business Strategy for Partners in Law
Firms”; faculty cochair of the “Senior Executive Program
for China” and “Effective Strategies for Media Companies:
Leading in Turbulent Environments – California.”
Robert C. Pozen, Senior Lecturer of Business Admin-
istration. Member of the General Management Unit.
Dennis A. Yao, Lawrence E. Fouraker Professor of
Business Administration. Member of the Strategy Unit.
 NEW PROGRAM

Business Strategy
for Partners
in Law Firms
DATES: January 13–16, 2010 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
PROGRAM FEE: $7,750 Business Strategy for Partners in Law Firms focuses on
LOCATION: HBS Campus the intersection of strategic decision making and legal
Boston, MA U.S. considerations in business. This program will help you
better understand the strategic considerations that guide
your clients’ business decisions, allowing you to align your
legal recommendations with your clients’ business strat-
egy. The program is designed to help you grow from an
Faced with complex business accomplished legal counsel to a trusted business partner.
challenges and an array of strategic
options, corporate leaders need CURRICULUM
advisers with deep legal expertise The program provides a rich learning experience that
and a clear view of business strategy. includes case discussions, faculty lectures, as well as
Can you deliver? structured and informal group activities. In a group of
successful peers, you will explore three key themes:

• Strategic Decision Making and Competitive Advantage

Learn how your clients choose among strategic
alternatives, how specific market and legal approaches
can build and sustain competitive advantage, and
how you can help identify strategic opportunities
created by ever-changing government regulations.
• Strategic Change
Explore how globalization, deregulation, and technical
change force clients to evolve their business strate-
gies, and how you can help them anticipate strategic
challenges that emanate from companies’ business
environment and society at large.
• Strategy and Intellectual Property Rights
Understand when patents, copyrights, and trademarks
confer lasting competitive advantage, when your clients
can benefit from collaborating with competitors, and
how companies capture value in business environments
with weak property rights.

PARTICIPANT MIX
This program is best suited for law firm partners who want
to enhance their knowledge of strategic decision making in
client companies.

Please visit www.exed.hbs.edu/programs/bslf/ for complete curriculum details.

ADMISSIONS
APPLICATION PROCESS Business Strategy for Partners in Law Firms
Please visit www.exed.hbs.edu for complete admission Dates: January 13–16, 2010
requirements and to apply online. You also can complete Program Fee: $7,750
the printed application and mail it to the address listed
or fax it to +1-617-496-1731. Applications are requested FOR MORE INFORMATION,
at least four weeks before the program start date. Since please contact our client service specialists at:
qualified candidates are admitted on a rolling, space- Executive Education Programs
available basis, early application is encouraged. Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Boston, Massachusetts 02163-9986 U.S.
Admission is selective and based on professional Email: executive_education@hbs.edu
achievement and organizational responsibility. No Telephone: 1-800-HBS-5577
formal educational requirements apply, but proficiency (outside the U.S., dial +1-617-495-6555)
in written and spoken English is essential. Executive Fax: +1-617-495-6999
Education programs enhance the leadership capacity Or visit: www.exed.hbs.edu
of the managers enrolled as well as their organizations,
and HBS expects full commitment from both. While
participants devote time and intellect to the learning
experience, sponsoring companies agree to relieve
individuals of their work responsibilities during
the program. HOW WILL MY ORGANIZATION BENEFIT?
Executive Education programs at Harvard Business
PROGRAM FEE School are a significant investment for both you and
The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, your organization. Going beyond the basic transmission
accommodations, and most meals. Payment is due within of skills and theories, each executive development
30 days of the invoice date. If admission is within 30 days program provides insights that can be applied to a
prior to the start of the program, payment is due upon wide range of business situations and organizations.
receipt of the invoice. Cancellation policies are outlined in You will gain a fresh perspective on client businesses
the information provided to applicants upon admission. and opportunities for your own firm from our ground-
breaking curriculum, world-renowned faculty, and an
accomplished group of elite peers.

w w w.exed.hbs.edu/prog r ams/ bslf/

In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity,
religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. The following
person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Ms. Nancy DellaRocco, Harvard Business School, Soldiers Field, Boston, MA 02163-9986 U.S.
Programs, dates, fees, and faculty are subject to change. ©2009 President and Fellows of Harvard College.