readease Chapter 259 The Law Firm Revolving Door
Chapter 259 The Law Firm Revolving Door
Chapter 259 The Law Firm Revolving Door
"You want to be Amazon's Blockbuster?" Wenger asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Blockchain?" Ernst paused slightly in his hand holding the coffee spoon upon hearing this, his thick eyebrows furrowing involuntarily, clearly bewildered by the sudden metaphor.
Blockbuster relies primarily on the traditional rental market, while it is currently developing an e-commerce platform. The two are completely different concepts, from their business models to their target customer groups.
Moreover, if we're really talking about online rental business, Google Video is doing what's essentially an online Blockbuster concept. Is it really necessary for us to do it too?
Seeing Ernst's reaction, Wenger was somewhat puzzled, and asked with a hint of uncertainty, "Isn't that right?"
right?
Ernst cleared his mind and organized his thoughts. "It should be said that it includes Blockbuster's business, but not its main leasing business."
He put down his coffee spoon, leaned back in his soft leather seat, and began to patiently explain, "What I'm going to do is e-commerce, selling DVDs, videotapes, players, and all kinds of entertainment products related to movies and television online. This is fundamentally different from Blockbuster's rental model."
"The acquisition of IMDB is a strategic move in this direction."
"IMDB possesses the world's largest database of film and television information, ranging from silent films from decades ago to the latest blockbusters, from actor anecdotes to behind-the-scenes production details. This data can provide comprehensive information support for the sales of related products."
"When browsing movie information, users can directly jump to purchase related DVDs. If they see a movie starring their favorite actor, they can also place an order for the same series with one click. This information plus consumption model is highly compatible with e-commerce business, which can greatly improve the user's purchase conversion rate, enhance the competitiveness in the entertainment product sales field, and achieve a perfect effect of business synergy and complementarity."
Seeing that Wenger was listening attentively, Ernst continued, "More importantly, IMDB's user base is mainly composed of movie enthusiasts who have a high level of enthusiasm and willingness to consume film and television content, resulting in a high degree of overlap in target audiences."
"By acquiring IMDB, we essentially gained a precise traffic pool directly. We don't need to spend huge sums on Google Ads to find potential customers; we can simply optimize the product recommendation entry on the IMDB page to convert these movie lovers into consumers. This is much more efficient than blindly advertising on Google Ads and also saves a lot of marketing costs."
"From a strategic perspective, by leveraging IMDB's database, we can also provide users with personalized recommendation services." Ernst's eyes grew increasingly profound, as if he could already see the future business blueprint.
"For example, based on users' browsing history, we can recommend DVDs they might like. Based on the types of movies they've collected, we can suggest player accessories with similar themes. This kind of personalized service can enhance user stickiness and make them more reliant on our platform."
"At the same time, IMDB's influence in the global film and television industry can also help us enhance brand awareness and let more people know that they can buy professional film and entertainment products on my website."
As if everything had been planned, Ernst talked on and on for nearly half an hour, covering everything from business synergy to user conversion, from strategic planning to data application, almost exhaustively explaining the benefits of acquiring IMDB for the film and television e-commerce business.
However, he only explained the importance of acquiring IMDB for film and television e-commerce, without mentioning anything about other categories.
Amazon for film and television?
Ernst isn't as petty as Bezos; how could he possibly be content with just being an e-commerce platform in a niche market?
Since he's going to fight, he wants to take Amazon and Bezos down directly.
Wenger didn't press further. Since Ernst already knew the answer, he felt there was no need to ask any more questions and was relieved.
A relieved smile appeared on his face, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.
But the smile didn't last long. His eyes dimmed again, and his tone was tinged with sadness. "If only Garlins were still here. He would be so proud of you if he could see what you've accomplished today."
When Ernst heard the name Galins, his expression instantly became somewhat complicated.
He lowered his head in response, a hint of sadness in his eyes, but he remained silent.
Only he himself knew that at this moment, his innermost thought was that the greatest help to him was that his dead father was gone.
In this world, the people who understand you best will always be your parents.
This is also why he tries to avoid his mother, Sisley, because women are inherently sensitive.
For example, it didn't matter to his maternal grandfather John and the others. Even if they found something unusual about Ernst, they would just consider it a change that hadn't happened in a while.
But parents are different; they are the most sensitive to changes in a person's habits.
Seeing Ernst's downcast and silent demeanor, Wenger assumed he was feeling down because he missed his father.
She gently patted his shoulder and comforted him in a gentle tone, "You don't need to be too sad. I believe that if Garlins were alive, he would be happy to see your career developing so well."
"If he were really alive, he'd probably want to come down and strangle me right now," Ernst thought to himself.
His arrival was tantamount to replacing his son's existence, which was no different from killing him, right?
Ernst didn't want to continue the topic, so he quickly composed himself and deliberately changed the subject. "By the way, I heard you poached Gioni? And made her a partner at the firm?"
Mentioning Giony, Wenger's eyes lit up instantly, and a smile as if he had found a treasure appeared on his face. His tone was full of pride: "You know what, I put in a lot of effort to bring her over."
"Although she can't bring much profit to the law firm in the short term, and we even have to pay out of our own pockets to support her work, in the long run, the influence and reputation she can bring to the firm are definitely worth it."
The concept of "partner" in the West is completely different from its understanding in the East.
In the East, being a partner signifies a very high status and position, and is a symbol of honor.
In the West, especially in professions such as law, medicine, and finance, partnerships are essentially a purely business transaction, and can even be seen as the first step toward unemployment.
Because from this moment on, no one will pay your salary anymore.
Take Gione as an example, who became a partner at Wenger Law Firm. Not only did she not receive a single penny of salary, but she also had to pay the firm about 20% of her commission as a management fee for every case she handled.
Moreover, all the supplies used by the law firm have to be paid for, and if personnel are needed, their salaries also need to be paid.
Of course, partners also have corresponding rights.
That means you can participate in the firm's major decisions, such as determining new business directions and connecting with important clients.
After the law firm makes a profit each year, she can also receive a share of the profits as stipulated in the contract.
Generally speaking, once a law firm's business reaches a certain scale, the annual dividends that partners can receive will be much higher than the salaries of ordinary lawyers.
But Gioni is an exception; she's a money-loser.
Gionie is a well-known civil rights lawyer in California who specializes in providing legal aid to minority or vulnerable groups such as Black people, women, and people with disabilities.
Most of these groups have limited financial resources and often cannot even afford legal fees, so Gioni's income has always been low, and sometimes she has to subsidize it herself to maintain her normal work.
Even so, as Wenger said, it's worth it.
Because Giony can bring Wengerluth enormous prestige and influence.
Anyone who has studied law in the United States knows that many teachers and professors say as their first sentence in class, "Never say which case is just or which case is wrong."
It doesn't matter who is right or wrong; what matters is who hired you.
In the same case, you should first argue for the plaintiff, then for the defendant, and win both cases. Only then can you be fair to every penny your employer spends on you.
Therefore, American law is essentially geared towards the wealthy. There are far too few lawyers with a genuine sense of justice who are willing to speak up for the vulnerable.
Civil rights lawyers like Giony make up less than 1% of the total number of lawyers in the United States, but every successful civil rights lawyer enjoys a very high status in the hearts of ordinary people.
They are like embodiments of justice, gaining widespread public recognition and support, which is something that money can't buy.
Ernst stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Are you about to enter the revolving door?"
He hadn't expected that Wenger had already set his sights on the political arena, making this move earlier than he had anticipated.
In the United States, every top law firm is involved in politics.
Do you know what kind of lawyers are most common in the United States? It's not corporate lawyers who handle mergers and acquisitions, nor is it private lawyers who provide services to the wealthy; it's government lawyers.
These lawyers specialize in providing legal advice and policy recommendations to members of parliament and government officials, helping them handle various legal matters.
According to statistics, government lawyers account for more than 10% of the total number of lawyers in the United States, a proportion far exceeding people's imagination.
Think about it, with Giony as an influential trump card, how much would it help his client's candidacy if he partnered with the law firm's government lawyers?
Another issue is the revolving door of law firms. Lawyers who are interested in pursuing a political career often choose to work with law firms that have civil rights lawyers and a large social influence.
They work at law firms for two or three years, building social prestige and public support by participating in Gionie's civil rights cases, before entering politics through a revolving door.
Conversely, retired government officials also enter law firms as senior advisors, bringing government resources and policy information to the firms.
This model of interaction between government and business is an inevitable path for the development of top American law firms.
Ernst nodded, then suddenly thought, "I think you could bring her along on this trip to London."
"You mean make her an employed lawyer for IMDB?" Wenger immediately understood what Ernst wanted to do.
"That's right. IMDb doesn't charge users any fees, which is a case that can increase its influence. The United States has the highest internet penetration rate, and California has the largest number of users."
"If this was something Gioni fought for, it could cause a huge uproar among netizens."
Performing for outsiders.
It's so fake.
But it's also very American.
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