Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/74024
www.iltanet.org It's Not About the Tool: Assessing an Ongoing Project Management Implementation by Ann Morrell and Mary Panetta of Crowell & Moring LLP Ann Morrell, J.D. is the Director of Project Management and Process Improvement, as well as a Business Manager at Crowell & Moring LLP. She devotes her time to working on strategic initiatives with the firm's labor and employment practice and launching the firm's project management program. Ann can be reached at amorrell@crowell.com. Mary Panetta is a former litigator with a background in knowledge management and practice management. She is currently a Business Manager at Crowell & Moring LLP, working on strategic initiatives with the firm's antitrust and white collar practices, and providing guidance for the firm's knowledge management efforts. Mary can be reached at mpanetta@crowell.com. Changes in the legal profession have required virtually all law firms to consciously rethink their approach to how they price and deliver services. Corporate procurement departments are driving efficiency through how they select counsel and negotiate engagement terms, and the convergence of outside law firms is increasingly common. The downturn in the economy has forced many companies to scrutinize and reduce their legal spending permanently. Further, some clients have instituted project management in their legal departments and are now expecting it of their law firms as they experience the benefits internally. Crowell & Moring responded quickly to the postrecession economy by developing a 28 ILTA White Paper