With thanks to Robert Ambrogi for the heads up, I wanted to suggest you take a look at the web site of Exemplar Law Partners. The first page of the web site states an unequivocal position on hourly billing. “No hourly bill. No hourly bull. Exemplar is the first corporate law firm in the nation… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Trends and Innovations
Subscribe to Trends and Innovations RSS FeedOutsourcing Litigation Oversight
Posted in Hourly Rates and Alternatives, Trends and InnovationsIn December, I ran a post about outsourcing the legal function or at least parts of it (here). My thesis was (and remains) that certain inside functions could be handled better by outside counsel on a fixed fee that would be competitive with or less than the cost of the inside lawyer). The Wired GC… Continue Reading
Invitation To Ralph Palumbo To Join Blogosphere
Posted in Client Service, Trends and InnovationsFrom time to time, I have the opportunity to provide examples of great client service or innovative thinking in the area. Today, I want to highlight the work of Ralph Palumbo of the The Summit Law Group in Seattle. The firm has a great story to tell: We formed Summit Law Group to revolutionize the… Continue Reading
Cutting Inside Counsel: Perfect Opportunity For Fixed Fee Agreements
Posted in Hourly Rates and Alternatives, Trends and InnovationsAbout I month ago, I wrote about “Outsourcing The Legal Function.” Today, I was reading this article at law.com about five questions law firms face for 2006. The fifth question is whether client relationships are more critical than ever. The author observes that “according to a recent law firm study by BTI, the vast majority… Continue Reading
Six Sigma Not A Popular Tool Among Amlaw 200: What would Jack Welch think?
Posted in Trends and InnovationsAltman Weil did a survey of the Amlaw 200. Sixty three firms responded. The survey is available from Altman Weil and it is discussed in the January 2006 issue of American Lawyer. The survey covers many areas and I will be discussing it in other posts, but one topic addressed was use of Six Sigma… Continue Reading
An Opportunity For In House Lawyers To Work With Lawyers Truly Committed To Client Service
Posted in Trends and InnovationsI am very happy to see the number of posts commenting favorably on the launching of the Law Department Purchasing Consortium. Highly respected blogs and bloggers and greeted the lauch with enthusiasm. Gerry Riskin, Larry Bodine, Geoffrey Gussis, and The Wired GC all have taken note of the launch. I need to acknowledge upfront that… Continue Reading
Outsourcing the legal function–or at least parts of it
Posted in Trends and InnovationsI was having a discussion with a General Counsel a few months ago. He was thinking of hiring a lawyer to oversee the company’s litigation. He was thinking of hiring a lawyer with 3 to 4 years experience. It got me thinking. Will this young lawyer be able to make better decisions or even recommendations… Continue Reading
Six Sigma A Tool To Serve
Posted in Leadership and Management, Trends and InnovationsI have long been intrigued by the concept of Six Sigma. Ever since reading “Jack Welch and the GE Way,” I’ve wondered how law firms could use the concept to improve their service. In this vein, I’ve also spent time with Lean Six Sigma For Service. I’ve always thought myself somewhat the loner in my… Continue Reading
LISTEN!
Posted in Trends and InnovationsI love The Common Scold. Yes, Scold, not cold. (Who could ever love the common cold?) Why? Because Monica Bay always makes really good points in a very compelling way. Take her post telling the story of Jane Smith and her encounter with a vendor. Read it. Learn. The first point, not using a woman’s… Continue Reading
Client Service: Separating Fact from Fiction (Part I)
Posted in Commentary, Trends and InnovationsEveryone, it seems, has realized that clients want good service. Most have responded by saying they provide great service. Only a few, however, really do provide it. How is a client to distinguish between those who talk the talk from the few who actually walk the walk? The separation really starts with expectations. Last week,… Continue Reading
Conflicts and Client Service
Posted in Trends and InnovationsProviding yet more fodder for this blawg, the May issue of Corporate Counsel contains a short article entitled “Conflict Avoidance,” which discusses Citigroup’s new policy on conflicts, which makes it difficult to impossible to get a waiver to sue the company. My vantage point as a partner in a 30 plus lawyer firm makes it… Continue Reading
Use of Procurement Executives: A New Trend?
Posted in Trends and InnovationsThe May issue of Corporate Counsel was a cornucopia of material of this blawg. In addition to more fodder for the “chicken and egg” issue (will lawyers offer alternative fees to attract clients or will clients have to demand alternatives to force change), there was a terrific column by Eriq Gardner (Hello, Good Buy) on… Continue Reading
Making your IT person part of your team
Posted in Trends and InnovationsThe floors in my house are being refinished this weekend, so my family and I were evicted and are “vacationing” in a hotel just a few blocks away. I just finished reviewing my email, had a conversation with a colleague over Skype, and am now posting to my blawg, all while sitting on a lounge… Continue Reading