A previous item mentioned three aspects of Eversheds’ RAPID Resolution™ program (See my post of Nov. 13, 2006.) but a longer article, in Met. Corp. Counsel, Vol. 14, Dec. 2006 at 16, uncovered another one of its noteworthy aspects. The authors state that “[a]ll of our lawyers have received specialist…
When a number of law firms propose to handle matters, as part of a competitive process, it can be a challenge to choose among the firms. Usually the firms answer a number of questions, some of which are objective – number of lawyers, diversity percentages – and some of which…
That aphorism says that if your law department too aggressively drives down billing rates and the economics of your law firms, you end up with poorer legal work (See my post of June 15, 2006 about meddling in firm management; and July 5, 2006 with several forms of intervention.). If…
Recently, some law firms have ended the long-standing practice of charging clients the costs of electronic legal research. Previously, firms resorted to a discounted “pay-as-you-go” method with its electronic research vendors, and then billed clients for the actual (discounted) charges incurred. Once firms selected one of the major electronic research…
Some law departments might like an arrangement where it and a primary law firm commit to a significant relationship that motivates the department to use the firm frequently. To illustrate, the law firm could create a bank of 5,000 hours of time during an 18-month period for a flat fee,…
Rob Thomas, Vice President, Strategic Development, Serengeti Law, offers his “Top 10 Methods To Manage Outside Counsel,” courtesy of ACC. As part of a broader recommendation – to save money by means of post mortems – Thomas would have law departments assess the “predictive accuracy of outside counsel.” Does that…
This blog has urged law departments to send enough work to a law firm that they become one of its significant clients (See my post of Jan. 3, 2006 about primary and secondary client roles.). If your billings are small, especially when the work is overseen by a middle-of-the-class partner…
The General Counsel of Serono Inc., Thomas G. Gunning, writes in the Boston Bus. J., Feb. 10, 2006 that engagement letters from law firms “are often signed as presented, without negotiation.” Well, that’s his view. Gunning warns that lurking within those unexamined engagement letters may well be provisions that are…
“The law department should also maintain a record of challenged entries and amounts written off to ensure that firms follow through on billing revisions.” This recommendation comes from Rob Thomas’ “Top 10 Methods To Manage Outside Counsel.” He implies that law departments should advise their law firms about improper billing…
Through ACC, the prolific Rob Thomas, Vice President, Strategic Development for Serengeti Law, recently published his “Top 10 Methods To Manage Outside Counsel.” Thomas cites approvingly from the infamous audit report that excoriated Amtrak’s legal department and in his seventh method instructs law departments to obtain project budgets and track…