Legal OnRamp had an interesting piece by Jim Hassett (CEO of LegalBizDev). On April 15, 2009, Hassett moderated a panel discussion on alternative fees at large firms. Rob Fields from Womble Carlyle (a US firm of more than 500 lawyers) described a large project Womble Carlyle recently started in which the firm’s client can choose whether to pay by the hour or to pay one of several predetermined fixed fees. At the end of each matter, the client gets to pick the lowest price.
It reminds me of the choice another law firm gave its clients to use offshore resources or not (See my post of Feb. 17, 2008: law firm gives clients ability to choose offshore resources.). In both instances, and others, to the degree that law firms can offer important clients choices, that goes a long way toward client satisfaction.