汤森路透于本周发布美国大中型律所第二季度“律所财务指数”（Law Firm Financial Index）。数据表明，由于法律服务需求降缓，而员工薪资、间接费用却持续增长，律所2022年度的财务表现可能遭遇“逆风”。
在第二季度，该财务指数降到了2006年有统计以来的最低水平。律所服务需求总体下降了0.5%，除房地产板块外，几乎所有业务领域都出现同比下滑。破产重整、并购业务下降最明显，分别下滑约11和5个百分点；公司业务下降1个百分点；生产效率也下跌了近4个百分点。
与此同时，律所花销却不断增长。首先，由于律师提薪及几轮奖金派送，直接费用同比增长12%；其次，间接费用也在增长：办公室花销增长了40%，招聘费用增长了近一倍，市场及商务拓展费用增长超70%，技术投入也增加了11%。
“此时此刻，大多数律所经营情况还不错，但忧虑已近在眼前。”汤森路透研究者William Josten说。虽然律所费率仍出现了5%的提升，但各项数据表明，律所近年以来的财务数据大增长，或许将在2022年画上句号。
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Financial data signals potential lacking of growth drivers for law firms
Thomson Reuters has published its second quarter Law Firm Financial Index of large and midsize law firms in the U.S. this week, which showed that the combination of falling demand for legal services and rising pay and overhead costs has created financial headwinds for law firms in 2022.
The index fell to its lowest point this past quarter since its 2006 founding. Demand for law firm services fell 0.5 percent from a year ago because demand for almost all practice, except for real estate, fell. Bankruptcy and M&A demands were particularly slow, falling nearly 11 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Corporate demand saw a nearly 1 percent decline. Productivity also declined nearly 4 percent.
Meanwhile, law firm expenses continue to rise. Direct expenses were more than 12 percent higher than a year ago due to rising lawyer pay and a few rounds of bonuses.
Overhead expenses have risen as well. Office expenses were up nearly 40 percent compared to a year ago, while recruiting expenses nearly doubled. Marketing and business development expenses increased by over 70 percent, and technology spending was also up almost 11 percent year-over-year.
“At the moment, most firms are doing just fine, the concern is that there are factors lining up.” said William Josten, manager for enterprise legal content at the Thomson Reuters Institute. Although law firms are still seeing a nearly 5 percent increase in rates, the numbers are a warning sign that 2022 may be the end of law firms’ recent financial boom.
You can download the full Index from here.
