Another week has passed, and another group of people have started using new internet technology to connect with others and build business.  Hopefully, that group of people includes some lawyers.  Welcome to part 8 of our blog series on social media for attorneys.  This week we will focus our efforts back on blogging.  Hopefully by this point you have started writing your blog.  If not, start now.

There are many ways that you can leverage your blog to take advantage of the many other people out there blogging about similar topics.  One such tool is a blog catalog.  Blog catalogs of blogger networks allow you to group your blog alongside the blogs of other popular bloggers in your area.

The advantages of submitting your blog to a blog network are many.  First, it gives you more exposure as a contributing member of the blogging community.  This will drive more traffic to your blog, entice more readers to subscribe to your blog, and get you noticed by a large number of internet users.  All of these things give your blog more credibility, and builds the awareness of your name and “brand” online.

Second, submitting your blog to a network, or simply searching for networks to submit to helps you get in touch with all the possibilities that are out there for bloggers.  You will find more blogs on legal topics that interest you than you found before.  Don’t be afraid to contact these bloggers.  Anyone who is posting material to the web is doing it to connect with people.  The more people that know about you and your blog, the more you’ll be able to do with it.

Finally, it allows you to mention the fact that you are included in these catalogs.  You can post a link or a “badge” on your blog that shows your readers where your blog has been listed around the web.  This, in turn, provides even more credibility.  It could turn the casual reader into a subscriber, and someone that comes back to your blog over and over again.  You can start to label yourself as an expert in your field, and turn your blog into a business producing tool.

Convinced?  Ok.  Let’s go over some of the catalogs that are out there that you should be checking out.  The key here is that there is no end to the amount of blog networks that you can submit to.  Find the ones that seem the most interesting and valuable to you.  Here is a list that you can start with.

1. Blawg.com: A must for all legal bloggers.  This is a law specific blog catalog, one with sections ranging from practice area to law professors to legal marketing. http://www.blawg.com

2. BlogCatalog.com: This is one of the largest and best known catalogs out there.  This network allows you to create a personal profile and add your blog to it.  It allows you to converse and exchange information with other bloggers. http://www.blogcatalog.com

3. Technorati: Technorati.com is a search engine that shows the most “important” information on the web.  They use an authority system to rank blogs and news sources.  You can claim your blog there, something every blogger can do, then use it to track performance and find similar blogs. http://www.technorati.com

There are many other catalogs and directories of blogs and bloggers that can help you.  A simple search on Google for those words will give you all the answers that you need.  The greater your online distribution of material, the more people you will attract, and the more powerful your blog will become.  So get out there and put these skill to work.

Past Installments of this Series:
Part One – Intro to Social Media for Attorneys
Part Two – Signing up for the Networks
Part Three – Using Blogs as an Information Source
Part Four – Start Blogging Today
Part Five – Introduction to Twitter
Part Six – Introduction to LinkedIn
Part Seven – Networks as a Communication Tool

Another week has passed, and another group of people have started using new internet technology to connect with others and build business.  Hopefully, that group of people includes some lawyers.  Welcome to part 7 of our blog series on social media for attorneys.  This week we will continue to introduce the various tools and networks that people are using to connect to other people on the web.   Whereas Twitter and LinkedIn are more directed social services, it is important to sign up for a number of pure social networks as well.

Facebook is a big win simply because it is the most popular.  Facebook just reach 150 million users worldwide, and that number continues to grow.  Though it may be hard to imagine where lawyers can use Facebook in a professional sense, there are many opportunities there.  I recommend signing up, adding your personal information and starting to search for and accumulate friends.  I would also recommend adding links to your blog, other networking sites in use, and your firm’s website.  If nothing else, this will add some extra online exposure for now.

Lawlink, JDSupra, and LegalOnRamp are some networking sites that are designed specifically for attorneys.  Each has a variety of services that you can take advantage of if you are a part of the network.  It can get a bit confusing to sign up for all of these networks, but I would recommend doing a little research and signing up for one or the other.  It will help you connect with other lawyers in your field and of similar interests.

There are a lot of things to consider when thinking of the future of legal networking.  These community sites that we discuss here will continue to add features that make it easier to practice law more efficiently and effectively.  The fact that these sites are designed for, and in a lot of ways by the users, means that they will continue to evolve into more complete services.  You can start to share and spread information among others in the legal community that you could never do in an offline environment.

For now, some of the basic things that you can use them for are simple discussions and promotion.  Use Facebook to promote your blog and other websites.  Use JDSupra to share articles or other works you authored.  Use Lawlink to discuss topics of interest with lawyers across the country.  Take advantage of whatever down time you have to get involved in these communities and you will uncover the many opportunities before you.

Where are we headed from here?  Next week we will discuss another great way to promote your blog and get involved with other bloggers, blog catalogs.  From there we will dive a little deeper into some of the networks, and learn more specifically how you can use them to grow your practice.

Past Installments of this Series:
Part One – Intro to Social Media for Attorneys
Part Two – Signing up for the Networks
Part Three – Using Blogs as an Information Source
Part Four – Start Blogging Today
Part Five – Introduction to Twitter
Part Six – Introduction to LinkedIn

"9 to 5" and Legal Malpractice

Legal Malpractice in Hollywood should come as no surprise.  We've commented on the widespread omnipresence of legal malpractice litigation, but had no idea we would be quoting Variety on the subject.  Here is their report on legal malpractice and the "9 to 5" screen, stage and trust saga as well as the cult classic Harold and Maude.

"The trust representing the late writer-director Colin Higgins has sued attorney Barry Hirsch for failing to properly represent his interests in the "9 to 5" stage musical.

Colin Higgins Prods. filed suit on Jan. 14 against Hirsch and his law firm in L.A. County Superior Court, accusing Hirsch of legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty. The trust seeks damages to be determined in a jury trial.

Among the many charges in the filing: Hirsch failed to adequately secure Higgins' rights to a live stage show from Patricia Resnick, the original scribe for the movie, and failed to advise the trustee in 2006 that the firm was representing Resnick at the time she was writing the book for "9 to 5: The Musical."

When the trustee asked how such a musical could be mounted without stage rights from Higgins Prods., Hirsch supposedly stated, "It may not be ethical, but it is legal."

According to the suit, Higgins, best known for penning "Harold and Maude," inked his deal with Fox to rewrite Resnick's "9 to 5" screenplay in 1979. Hirsch represented the writer-director and his shingle on various entertainment matters, including that contract.
 
Harbinger of Legal Malpractice Cases to Come?

As the economy has sunk, it is expected that legal malpractice cases will increase.  One reason is that cases previously thought to be unworthy will garner new luster; another is that in commercial circumstances there will be opportunities for cases.  Here is one example which did not work out for plaintiff.  As more sub-prime lending practices surface, we may expect to see further examples of this litigation, both in bankruptcy court and in district courts.

Law.Com reports the Dorsey saga.  "What started off as a run-of-the-mill loan arrangement turned into a decade of litigation for Dorsey & Whitney that could have cost the firm up to $4 million in malpractice verdicts -- until the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the entire case Thursday.In 1999, a now-defunct investment bank in Minneapolis, Miller & Schroeder, packaged about $12 million in bonds and sold them to 32 banks. The banks then became the direct lenders to a Mohawk tribe in upstate New York which used the money to open a casino.

There was a problem, though. Miller & Schroeder hadn't gotten the go-ahead on the loan for the casino project from the National Indian Gaming Commission. Internal documents showed Dorsey lawyers knew this could jeopardize the entire project. They told Miller & Schroeder to go ahead with the financing anyway.

The casino was a huge failure and its management defaulted on the loans starting in 2000. The banks sued, but the casino administrators said they didn't have to repay the loans. Why? Because without the gaming commission's approval, the casino project itself wasn't valid -- and neither were the loans.

Litigation ensued. Miller & Schroeder, Dorsey's client, sued the casino management and the Mohawk tribe in bankruptcy court. Dorsey advised Miller & Schroeder to drop the tribe from the lawsuit, a strange decision. A federal district court in 2007 concluded that Dorsey made that decision only to prevent the disclosure of its mistake in advising Miller to proceed with the loans without getting the gaming commission's approval.

There was more: One of the banks involved, Bremer Business Finance Corp., sued Miller & Schroeder. Dorsey lawyers badly wanted to keep representing Miller, especially because a rival firm was pushing for the business, court records show. But could they ethically do so if their own error would be at the heart of Bremer's claim? Dorsey decided they could, and continued on the case. Finally, Bremer sued Dorsey, claiming that, in effect, Dorsey, by representing the arranger of the loan, also indirectly represented all the banks who eventually bought those loans.

Two federal courts -- a bankruptcy court and a federal district court -- basically agreed and ruled against Dorsey in judgments that added up to $900,000, according to stories in The National Law Journal. Those judgments also kept the door open for larger judgments in the future. But the Minnesota Supreme Court went the opposite way in a parallel case brought against Dorsey by the banks. That court ruled that Dorsey's conduct didn't amount to malpractice, and it discredited the idea that the banks, as third parties, were Dorsey clients all along. "
 
Thoroughbred Legal Malpractice Case

This case illustrates the difference between legal malpractice and all other litigation, the "case within a case."  Defendant attorneys admitted that they allowed a case to go into default, yet were successful in avoiding liability.  Their defense?  Even if we made the mistake, plaintiff could not have won the case after all.

From NY Lawyer comes this story:

"The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a legal malpractice suit against a Cincinnati law firm that acknowledged its error for failure to prosecute a civil suit over the sale of a race horse, but argued that its client's suit would have failed on the merits anyway.

The 6th Circuit agreed on Jan. 12 that White, Getgey & Meyer Co., though it stipulated to legal malpractice, showed that the underlying suit by its client, Leonard Pivnick, would not have succeeded on the merits.

Pivnick purchased a one-year-old thoroughbred horse for $410,000 in a 1997 New York auction but failed to pay the auction house for the horse despite repeated demands, according to the ruling. Pivnick v. White, Getgey & Meyer Co., No. 07-4304 (6th Cir.).

The auction house, Fasig-Tipton Co., subsequently recovered the horse and sold it privately for $375,000. Eventually, the horse sold, after training as a racehorse, for $800,000, according to the court.

Pivnick sued the auction house, arguing that demand notices from Fasig-Tipton regarding the default did not make clear that it planned to sell the horse, and violated Kentucky's commercial code.

As the New York Times reports, Barack Obama faces some major challenges only hours after winding down his inauguration day celebration.  And though yesterday marked a time to ease into control and enjoy the moment, today it is time to get down to business.

Already Obama has called for a halt to prosecutions at Guantanamo Bay, the first step in analyzing the complete closure of the facility.  In addition, Obama’s staff has sent a memo to all Government Departments and Agencies to cease work on any pending “Bush” regulations.

It is clear that Barack faces some important decisions in his first 100 days in office.  With his inaugural address marked by a strong sense of responsibility and “core American values”, he is going to have to prove that he is up to the challenges ahead.

As the cabinet members begin to assemble into place, with some awaiting Senate confirmation, team Obama will be getting started right away.  I expect that we will hear some major decisions and announcements in the first couple of weeks as the President tries to set the bar high.

Attorneys now have the ability to network in a professional online community confined only to other attorneys.  Lawlink is a new social network that aims to provide resources and networking opportunities for lawyers.  It has similar features to sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn but provides specificity that other networks may have trouble attaining.

The free service, strictly for attorneys, is intended to be a place to meet other lawyers, discuss information and gain knowledge that can help you in your practice.  Users create a profile and then connect to other members.  Within the site are different features such as an "Answers" section where members post questions and receive answers from other members.   The "Community" section has a place to post and search for legal classified ads, to create or join a discussion board, and to browse a long list of legal blogs.  Articles, cases, essential forums, and any other document, can be uploaded in the "Documents" area of the site.  In the recently launched 2.0 version of the site they also have status messages, similar to those on Facebook.

Founder of Lawlink, Stephen Choi, pursues exclusiveness by verifying that each attorney sign up with a valid bar number.  It is taking a route similar to Facebook's initial approach as it once allowed just college students as members (a college e-mail was required as verification).  Choi tells us the privacy aspect is important.  As it gives more value to the networks you are connected to.  He recognizes that a site such as LinkedIn is certainly valuable and useful but it can be messy.  It also doesn't offer the vast access to attorney-specific information that LawLink is seeking to make available.  

The site currently has over 4,500 members and Choi says that an average of a hundred users are signing up every week as it gets more exposure.  Lawyers are connected to all types of organizations in the real world. Choi believes with the internet they can become more connected on a different level, a level that has yet to be tapped into.  Choi plans to launch a law student version of Lawlink where students can interact among each other and also have potential access to attorneys.  The attorneys will still possess their own version of Lawlink but will then have the option of allowing law students to connect with them.  Time will tell if a lawyers only networking site can truly take off.

For more information on social networking for lawyers, check out Lawline.com's Blog Series on Social Media.

Another week has passed, and another group of people have started using new internet technology to connect with others and build business.  Hopefully, that group of people includes some lawyers.  Welcome to part six of our blog series on social media for attorneys.  As we continue to cover various networks that you can use to build relationships, promote your practice, and develop your online brand, we turn our attention to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is just as new to the social web as Twitter, but also just as important.  Created as the social network for professionals, LinkedIn is targeted toward the working world.  It developed ways to “Link” with people that you would want to develop a professional relationship with.  Starting out with friends, colleagues, and old classmates, you can build a series of connections with people across your industry and in your area.

When you signup, you are asked to add information about yourself and your professional background.  For many people, it is as simple as adding your resume.  From there, you can search for people that you know, or want to know, and connect to them.  In addition, more recently LinkedIn has been adding applications to the site that help you better connect to more people and use their services more conveniently.

The advantages of a profile on LinkedIn can be many.  One, you can use it to self promote in a way that is not as intrusive as other networks.  By adding your blog, website, and other professional contact information to your profile, you expose the information to anyone who searches for you.  Also, they have a question and answer service that allows you to ask or answer questions posted on the site.  For example, if someone in your network asks a question that you have the answer to, posting your answer will automatically give you credibility and access to anyone who sees it.

In addition, communicating with other people in your network is getting easier.  You can email your connections, post comments, and find personal contact information very easily.  And if you are looking to hire people for your practice, LinkedIn is one of the best new ways to find top talent.  Recommendations from other people within your network are easy to get and more reliable than other hiring or recommendation engines out there.

If you are not already on LinkedIn, I suggest heading over to http://www.linkedin.com/ and joining today.  If you are a member, you probably could be using it more.  Try spending some time on the site and learning a few new things.  If you do this once a week, you are sure to find a few features that you never knew about, and some that you can take advantage of very easily.  As is the case with many social networks, the more you use it, the more you will get out of it.

Past Installments of this Series:
Part One – Intro to Social Media for Attorneys
Part Two – Signing up for the Networks
Part Three – Using Blogs as an Information Source
Part Four – Start Blogging Today
Part Five – Introduction to Twitter

In the past decade tuition hikes have been pretty extraordinary.  It seems to be getting worse every year; some schools have even raised tuition in the middle of the school year.  Luckily a California Supreme Court decision may provide reason for universities to think twice before raising tuition again, especially when they promised not to.

Last week, the CA Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal to this decision, thus upholding a decision for the University of California at Berkeley to reimburse former students $42 million dollars.  The students had their tuition raised mid-year in 2003 after the university promised not to do so.  The students will receive anywhere from $1 to $12,000, including interest fees.

Although the school attempted to appeal the case to the State Supreme Court, the former students began to receive checks back the university in December.   The action was lead by former Berkeley Law Student Mohammad Kashmiri.  The ABA Journal reports Kashmiri brought the suit on the grounds of "alleged a breach of contract." Hopefully the case sets a precedent for future tutition hikes.

For all you iPod lovers who had trouble with your song purchases off of iTunes (ie. Playing it anywhere else besides your iPod) you don't have to worry any longer.  Apple has decided that it's going to make all of its songs DRM-Free. 

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management which was enacted in attempt to alleviate illegal file-sharing.  DRM allows manufactures to control things such as how many copies of a song a customer can make, what devices the song can be played on, etc.   It was created in attempt to protect the rights of copyright owners, but has been very controversial because of the limited abilities it gives consumers.  The change in iPod has been anticipated as they are one of the last music companies to do so.

With the change to DRM-free also comes a price change.  Instead of the flat $.99 per song, prices will range from $.69 to $1.29, which will be decided by the record labels.  The songs will not be MP3s, but AAC format which usually has better quality than MP3s.  Price changes will not be put in effect until spring time, while iTunes is working now to make all content DRM-free.

In late October 2008 New York Ranger Goalie, Steve Valiquette, visited Manhattanville College to talk about his achievements in life and career.  About 50 students turned out and were fortunate enough to listen to Steve share his experiences on and off the ice, from growing up and working with his father as an electrician to finally figuring out what it took to be an NHL goalie in the minor leagues in his late twenties.  During his visit Steve helped raise $400 to the Travis Roy Foundation during an autograph session with the students.  Lawline.com has graciously matched the $400 raised during Steve’s visit that will benefit a paralyzed United States War Veteran.

The students listened and interacted with questions to Steve ranging from his taste of music to his future goals after his hockey days were over.  The one thing everyone learned during the event was Steve has set out to not only share his talents to fans as one of the premier back up goalies in the NHL, but Steve is dedicated to helping and educating others reach their goals.

As is true with Lawline.com, Steve wants more than anything else to use the platform he has as a professional athlete to educate others.  Steve talks to both young and old that they can achieve their dreams as long as they strive for it.  “For the past 5 years my biggest motivation in hockey and life is knowing the better I do on and off the ice the bigger my platform to help other grows,” said Steve.

Spending nine seasons in the minors and floating from the OHL, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, and one year of professional hockey in Russia, Steve never lost sight of his ultimate goal: to be, in one way or another, a mainstay in the NHL. 

Finally after that one year of professional hockey in Russia, Steve was signed by the New York Rangers as the back up to Henrik Lundqvist.  The 2007-2008 season would be Steve's first full year in the NHL.  At the age of 30 Steve made it to the big show.

What Steve stressed most during his talk to the students is having a positive mental attitude while pursuing your goals.  He credited his sports psychologist with helping him with this focus that allowed him to get to where he is today.  After his career, Steve plans to pursue a career in sports psychology to give young athletes the opportunity he was given to get to where he is.

Manhattanville College Student Government, My Soldier, and Lawline.com cannot thank him enough for his time and dedication to both the students and charity. 

Feel free to visit SteveValiquette.com to learn more about him and his endeavors.  We wish him and the New York Rangers the best of luck!

Welcome to the 5th installment of our series on Social Media.  In the past two weeks, we have discussed the ins and outs of blogs.  We’ve gone over the best ways to use blogs as a knowledge source, and an introduction to blogging for yourself.  Over the next few weeks, we will discuss a few networks that you should start to use.  Each of them can also be used to promote your blog, using the blog as the base of your online identity, or brand.

First, we will cover Twitter.  Twitter has become the “hot commodity” of the web of late, and it is important that everyone at least be aware of what it’s all about.  Twitter is a site where people can share experiences and ideas in 140 characters or less.  It is like a miniature blog (or microblog) that brings together many people to comment and discuss certain topics.

Signing up is easy, if you haven’t already.  Simply go to www.twitter.com and select Get Started Now.  Fill out a short form and you are ready to join the conversation.  Once you are up and running, the operational process is very intuitive.  You can update your status whenever you like, as often as you want.  You can invite friends and colleagues to join using an email address.  You can find other people on Twitter and begin to follow their updates.

Following someone simply means that you will see their updates on your own Twitter page.  And when someone decides to follow you, they will get yours.  To take advantage of this service as a business development and promotion engine, you’ll want to add as many followers as possible.  Do this by getting involved with other users, start conversations, and discuss interesting topics.  The followers will come.

To find people who may be discussing things of interest to you, you can use search.twitter.com to search any conversation topics.  If you find people you’re interested in, follow them.  Common practice on Twitter is to follow those people that follow you.  So searching for these people and following them will lead to more followers for you, a good thing.

In addition to the normal conversations, you can send direct messages, both public and private, to other users.  If you want to reply to someone, or start a conversation, use the “@” symbol followed by their Twitter name.  For example, if you type @Lawline before your message, that update will come directly to Lawline.com’s twitter account.  This is how you can start more one on one conversations to discuss specific topics and build a relationship.  The more people you involve yourself with, the more popular your Twitter identity will become, and the more you can get out of the experience.

Past Installments of this Series:
Part One – Intro to Social Media for Attorneys
Part Two – Signing up for the Networks
Part Three – Using Blogs as an Information Source
Part Four – Start Blogging Today

Attorney Fee Denied in Multi-Million Dollar Medical Malpractice Settlement

The matter of Chen v. Mt. Sinai was handled by attorney Steven F. Goldman, and settled just after depositions for $ 2.4 million.  Mt. Sinai was represented by Martin Clearwater & Bell, a premiere NY med-mal defense firm.  One would think that was good news for Mr. Goldman.  However, he ends up, after a Second Circuit decision, with no fee at all.  Legal Malpractice litigation might follow had he garnered a fee.  It might still if one scrutinizes the question of whether sufficient provision was made for a severely injured child. From the opinion: "The circuit noted that Mr. Goldman provided no real assistance to Judge Korman in his effort to determine whether the settlement was reasonable."Equally disturbing, the record suggests that Goldman himself had made only limited inquiries into David's condition and the nature and extent of David's future medical needs,"

Law.Com writes: "A federal judge acted within his authority when he denied all fees to a lawyer who won a $2.4 million medical malpractice case but who failed to investigate the future needs of a child disabled at birth and overcharged his client, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Monday upheld the discretion of Eastern District Judge Edward Korman to refuse Steven F. Goldman's application for $388,000 in fees.
 
Mr. Goldman obtained a settlement with the Mt. Sinai-NYU Medical Center Health Systems, NYU Downtown Hospital and the doctors involved. He then filed a stipulation of settlement and infant compromise order directing that he be paid $408,000 in fees and $20,000 in expenses, and that Ms. Chen be paid $250,000 for her loss of services claim, and $1.7 million as trustee for her son's special needs trust.

But Judge Korman said he was unable to analyze the reasonableness of the settlement because Mr. Goldman failed to provide documentation for his fees and for David's current medical condition and a projection of his expenses for future medical care.

Saying the attorney's information was "totally unhelpful," the judge appointed a special master, attorney Steven North, who was told by Mr. Goldman that he had applied the sliding scale fee system set forth in New York Judiciary Law §474-a for medical malpractice compensation.
When Mr. North inquired as to the fee, Mr. Goldman claimed he had miscalculated it under the sliding scale, and it was actually $388,000."
 
Death in Iraq, Blackwater and Legal Malpractice

Law.Com reports [as does the BLT Blog] that a legal malpractice case by Blackwater Security Consulting has been dismissed, now for the second time against Wiley Rein.   The legal malpractice case arises from the horrible death of Blackwater employees in Falugia, Iraq.
The fact of deaths in Iraq ending in US litigation brings to mind a recent speech which attributed the idea to Alexis de Tocqueville that all serious issues in the US ultimately end in courts.  If it ends in court, look for legal malpractice litigation to follow.

"On Dec. 29, Judge Jennifer Anderson of D.C. Superior Court dismissed the $30 million malpractice suit brought against the firm by Blackwater Security Consulting on summary judgment. She's the second judge to throw out the case since it was filed last January.
"They have the right to ask more judges to look at it," says Zuckerman Spaeder partner Mark Foster, who represents Wiley Rein in the matter. But if Blackwater's lawyer, Barry Nace of Paulson & Nace, chooses to do so, Foster says, "I think he'd be wasting his time." (Nace is on overseas travel and could not immediately be reached for comment.)
Blackwater alleged that Wiley botched its defense of the security contractor in a wrongful death case brought on behalf of four Blackwater guards killed in Iraq in 2004. Blackwater claimed the suit would have been dismissed if it had been heard in federal court, instead of in a North Carolina trial court. Blackwater said the Wiley lawyers failed to get a venue change because they didn't invoke the federal officer removal statute, which grants federal jurisdiction to claims involving federal officers."

Law firms requesting credit in the New Year are finding that the conditions for borrowing have become onerous.   An article in the ABA Journal posted yesterday says that banks have doubled interest rates for firms and imposed more regulations.  Banks are exceedingly cautious about lending because of dissolved law firms.  The law firms originally began to decrease pay to partners in order to lessen their original debt that was in danger of rising due to lower revenue income.  Partner defections have ultimately led firm dissolution in many cases according to a lawyer for Citi.

It seems to be a circle situation for the law firms, if they have to pay higher interest rates on credit, they still won't be able to pay their employees adequately.  And if they do, they will likely have to decrease the amount of employees.