More from these Authors

• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2020

  Levi Strauss (A): A Pioneer Lost in the Wilderness

  Joshua Margolis, Ashish Nanda, Margaret Cross, Imran Manji and Bismah Rahmat

  In 2011, newly appointed CEO Chip Bergh needed to urgently turn around the iconic but floundering denim apparel firm, Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) Famous for its blue jeans, LS&Co. had suffered a decline in revenue of 29% from $6.8 billion in 1997 to $4.8 billion in 2011. Bergh faced some urgent decisions. Should LS&Co. focus more on the wholesale channel or direct-to-consumer channel? What parts of its product mix should the firm emphasize? In which geographies should it invest? With only a short window of time in which to build momentum, Bergh knew that he needed to prioritize, given the firm’s limited resources.

  Citation:

  Margolis, Joshua, Ashish Nanda, Margaret Cross, Imran Manji, and Bismah Rahmat. "Levi Strauss (A): A Pioneer Lost in the Wilderness." Harvard Business School Case 720-405, March 2020.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2020

  Wachtell Lipton: Focused Excellence

  Ashish Nanda and Margaret Cross

  For years, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz – a small, New York City law firm – has consistently boasted the highest profits per partner and one of the highest “prestige” ratings among U.S.-based law firms. The firm has remained loyal to a distinctive strategy ever since its founding in 1965. Whereas most law firms have multiple offices, seek long-term retainer relationships with clients, operate across multiple services, and bill by the hour, Wachtell Lipton operates from a single location, offers legal services on a matter-by-matter basis, focuses on transactional work (primarily M&A advisory), and value bills for its services. Despite its extraordinary success, as the legal services market evolves and the firm’s name partners, 87-year-old Herbert Wachtell and 88-year-old Marty Lipton, approach retirement, questions arise about whether Wachtell Lipton’s magic formula will continue to yield extraordinary results in coming years.

  Keywords: Strategy; Law; Mergers and Acquisitions; Legal Services Industry; New York (city, NY);

  Citation:

  Nanda, Ashish, and Margaret Cross. "Wachtell Lipton: Focused Excellence." Harvard Business School Case 720-396, March 2020.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | May 2016 (Revised March 2020)

  Fasten: Challenging Uber and Lyft with a New Business Model

  Feng Zhu and Angela Acocella

  Fasten, a new ridesharing start-up in Boston, entered the scene in September 2015 hoping its unique vision of transparency for both driver and passenger and strategy to keep riders' fares low and charge drivers a flat $0.99 fee per ride as opposed to the 20-30% commission charged by its competition, would help differentiate it and gain the necessary traction in an ostensibly concentrated market between Uber and Lyft. Despite both Uber's and Lyft's valuations skyrocketing to $50 billion and $5.5 billion respectively, heavy investment in top notch Silicon Valley software developers and technological innovations such as autonomous vehicles, aggressive marketing strategies, and cutthroat poaching practices—all of which forced number three competitor Sidecar out by January 2016—Fasten's leadership felt confident their 17 years of experience in Russia's car services industry positioned them well to truly understand their customers and ultimately expand to other major cities. But with limited budgets to acquire talented and expensive platform developers, Fasten needed to ensure its core IT services could compete, and that its word-of-mouth approach to attract the essential network of drivers and passengers could get it the vital foothold it would need to grow.

  Keywords: Information Technology; Transportation; Business Startups; Business Model; Transportation Industry; Boston;

  Citation:

  Zhu, Feng, and Angela Acocella. "Fasten: Challenging Uber and Lyft with a New Business Model." Harvard Business School Case 616-062, May 2016. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related