White Collar Criminal and Regulatory Lawyer Blog http://www.whitecollarcriminalandregulatorylawyerblog.com http://www.whitecollarcriminalandregulatorylawyerblog.com/index.xml Reviews white collar crime cases, news and reports in New Jersey. Published by Ambrosio & Tomczak. California Truck Accident Attorney Blog http://www.californiatruckaccidentattorneyblog.com http://www.californiatruckaccidentattorneyblog.com/index.xml Discusses truck accident cases, reports and news in…
Posts Tagged ‘Lawyer’
Round-Up of Law Practitioner Blogs
29
May
St. Louis Injury Attorneys Blog http://www.stlouisinjuryattorneysblog.com/ http://www.stlouisinjuryattorneysblog.com/index.xml Reviews personal injury law news, cases, and reports in Missouri. Published by Law Offices of Marshall R. Hoekel, LLC and Robert Goldson, The Goldson Law Firm. Kentucky Employment Lawyer Blog http://www.kentuckyemploymentlawyerblog.com/ http://www.kentuckyemploymentlawyerblog.com/index.xml Reviews…
Nolo is Acquired by Internet Brands as Part of Legal Roll Up
01
May
After 40 years of leading the self-help law movement, Nolo, is being acquired by Internet Brands an advertising driven Internet company. Nolo was created by two frustrated legal aid lawyers, Charles (Ed) Sherman and Ralph (Jake) Warner, who wanted to figure out a way to help the thousands of consumers with their legal problems who could not afford an attorney and were turned away by legal aid because their incomes were too high.
Based in Berkeley, California, the center of the counter cultural revolution of the 1960’s, Nolo assembled a group of radical lawyers, editors, and writers who were determined to do something about a broken legal system where 90% of the US middle class were priced out of the legal system. Championing legal reforms that would make the U.S. justice system accessible to everyone, the company has seen these reforms become mainstream in the US.
Courts now offer their own automated self-help legal forms, legal aid agencies publish state-wide legal information web sites and also distribute automated legal forms, legal form web sites give away legal forms for free as a way to generate traffic, small claims court limits have been raised in many states, and lawyers are delivering "unbundled legal services" and creating virtual law firms, figuring out ways to deliver legal services online for a fixed and affordable fee.
Its ironic that Nolo is being acquired by Internet Brands, for an amount rumored to be in the range of $20,970,000, by an advertising company that is focused primarily on generating leads for law firms through their directories and advertising properties. How does self-help law fit into this business model?
The amount being paid is little more than one times revenue — not exactly a premium. Although, Nolo publishes Willmaker and several other excellent web-based legal software programs, it is still primarily a book publisher. In its hey day, before the Internet penetrated almost every household in America, Nolo self-help law books were the primary source for accurate do it yourself legal information and forms.
As the web expanded hundreds of legal information and legal form web sites also emerged, plus national brands such as LegalZoom. These web-based alternatives also provided legal solutions without the need to use a lawyer — the same need that Nolo was meeting. Except that instead of reading a 200-300 page book in order to get to a legal solution — web-based applications delivered a legal solution more efficiently, faster, and at less cost.
Nolo has migrated many of its legal forms online, too little and too late, and except for a few major products, non-automated forms. Here is another example of a print publisher whose business, despite the excellence of its product, has been eroded by the Internet.
It is well known that Nolo’s book business actually declined during this recession and growth has been flat. The fastest growing area of Nolo’s business is their Lawyer Directory. This is ironic for a company that prided itself in developing self-help legal solutions that don’t require the assistance of an attorney.
The challenge for Internet Brands will be to figure out how to unlock the assets buried within Nolo’s vast collection of self-help law books and turn these assets into web-based applications that can be distributed over the Internet. It remains to be seen whether the quality of Nolo’s self-help legal content will deteriorate under the management of an advertising-driven company that measures results in page views and unique visitors.
Internet Brands, previously a public company, was recently taken private private when it was acquired by Hellman & Friedman, a private equity firm, based in San Francisco, in December, 2010. Internet Brands has acquired over 70 vertical web sites in areas ranging from travel to cars to real estate. Internet Brands derives more than 70% of its revenues from advertising on its portfolio of web sites.
In December, 2010 Internet Brands also acquired ALLLAW.com , a consumer legal information portal and AttorneyLocate – an Attorney Directory Service. Both of these web sites are relatively weak properties. Compete.com shows that in March, 2011 Nolo had 498,769 unique visitors ( an 8% decline for the year), ALLLAW.com had 190,069 unique visitors, (for the of March, 2011); AttorneyLocate.com was especially weak with only 18,277 unique visitors (for the month of March, 2011). Internet Brands also owns ExpertHub, which in turn manages web sites in verticals markets such as dentists, plastic surgery, accountants, tummy tuck, and of course lawyers. The ExpertHub site for lawyers only generates 96,289 unique visitors a month (March, 2011), so I wonder if that level of traffic is high enough to support their advertising rates.
There is irony in the fact that LegalZoom, a company that prides itself on offering legal solutions from a non-law firm generates more traffic than any of the sites mentioned above at 889,762 unique visitors in March, 2011, trailing only Findlaw and Lawyers.com, (both of which offer similar services as the Internet Brands properties). With the traffic that LegalZoom gets, maybe LegalZoom should consider creating their own lawyers directory for consumers who need just a bit of legal advice to go with their forms to keep them on the right track? I wonder what solos and small law firms would think if LegalZoom moved in that direction?.
It will be interesting to see how Internet Brands integrates these legal properties to leverage the assets in each acquisition as its tries to compete with the likes of Findlaw and Lawyers.com . It will also be interesting to see whether the quality of Nolo’s self help legal content deteriorates under the management of an advertising company that measures results in impressions, clicks, and unique visitors. If Jake Warner, the present CEO stays involved, I am sure the quality of Nolo’s products will remain "top of class."
It’s an odd mix, –the best in class self-help legal book publisher with an excellent reputation, with some less than best in class lawyer directories and a legal information web site. Only time will tell whether this combination will work. (Although Internet Brands may intend to run each of these properties as separate brands, which would help Nolo maintain the quality of it self help legal content).
Personal Injury Legal Nurse Consultant
06
Apr
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Personal Injury Claims Lawyer
06
Apr
Personal injury claims lawyer with the best outcome? Start your search here.
Mesothelioma, medical malpractice, wrongful death lawsuits, defective products, defective medicines, nursing home injury, here’s what you need to know and ask.
The Unbundling of Legal Services
04
Oct
What can you do if you have a legal issue for which you cannot afford to retain a lawyer (but you do have some money) or you feel the issue is simple enough for you to handle on your own, but you need a little guidance? Perhaps you would like to use a lawyer for certain parts of your case such as:
- To provide advice, information about the law, procedures to follow;
- Completing crucial forms;
- Review forms you prepared;
- Conducting legal research; or
- Representation at critical court hearings (perhaps you want to represent yourself to reach a settlement but want a lawyer in case the case goes to trial).
A lawyer providing limited representation for a client must follow Rule 1.2 division (c) of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct which states:
“A lawyer may limit the scope of a new or existing representation if the limitation is reasonable under the circumstances and communicated to the client, preferably in writing.”
So as long as the limited representation is reasonable under the circumstances and preferably in writing, then it is allowable. However, many lawyers are still reluctant to enter into such agreements. Some find it difficult to communicate the limitations and fear misunderstandings with the client. Some are busy enough representing clients on a full-time basis that they don’t need to engage in limited representation. Others are just traditionalists and historically, this was not how legal services were rendered. Some attorneys will provide limited representation as long as it does not involve appearing in court. It is difficult to start handling a matter without knowing what previously happened in court. Also, once an attorney makes an appearance in court, the court must approve a subsequent withdrawal.
This should not stop you from inquiring about a limited representation arrangement if you feel it is right for you in your situation. This site’s administrator, Jason Kasunick, is an Ohio attorney who does engage in limited representation arrangements under the right circumstances. Please feel free to contact him at (216) 245-7375 or through the email form on the Contact Us page to learn more.
