Vote for the Best and Worst Law Product Mergers

Jean O'Grady has launched a poll for law librarians (and others) to assess the consequences of the legal publishing industry consolidation for once independently owned but now "brand" products of Thomson Reuters, Reed Elsevier and Wolters Kluwer. Jean writes

I selected a sampling of legal publishing mergers and acquisitions and focused on those that had transformative potential for the companies and products involved. I invite you to vote for the best and the worst mergers and acquisitions and provide a comment of why it was good or bad.

The emphasis here is on being a selective sample. For example, RIA and Callahan are not listed but the omissions do not distract from the poll. I would have liked to see Lawyer's Co-op listed even though I might not have selected it as best or worst. Hell, I'm still trying to decide what my selections will be. By asking participants to vote for the best and the worst instead of asking participants to rank them, one has to give some thought before making a selection. A good thing. As Jean notes the poll provides a comment box so participants can explain their decisions. Another good thing. Hopefully participants will comment.

To set the tone for this thought-provoking poll, Jean writes

The success or failure of these mergers and acquisitions are ultimately assessed by a variety of factors including whether the product is improved or is impaired, whether the culture and "good will" of the publisher and it's representatives are enhanced or diminished or whether the product is positively enhanced through transformative reengineering or obliterated by neglect or misguided re-design.

The poll will close on Sept. 23rd and Jean promises to write a follow-up post based on its findings and provided comments. Should be very interesting. Details including a link to the poll are available at Dewey B Strategic. [JH]