At the recent Georgetown Law Conference on the evolution of law firms, a panelist from Clifford Chance (Sally Fiona King) explained that the firm now requires associates who are considered for partnership to have passed one of two requirements. Either they have worked for significant amounts of time in another…
A few days ago I tackled four objections of Rich Baer, Qwest’s general counsel, to fixed fees, and perhaps brought them to the ground (See my post of March 16, 2010: criticisms of billing arrangements that are based on fixed fees.). If he reads my blog and wants to rebut,…
A study I wish someone would do would compile several lists of “who represents corporate America.” Each company on the list would have a number for their position on the Fortune 1000 list. Each law firm listed as representing a company would have a number for its position on the…
In a recent presentation, a senior lawyer of a major manufacturing company described his law department’s model for how to staff a lawsuit. More, he described the approximate percentage of time and cost the company believes is appropriate for each role. It starts with a lawyer they call a “barrister,”…
Richard Baer, general counsel of Qwest Communications, recently made several points against fixed fees. He gave four reasons for his opposition to them in an interview by Corp. Counsel, March 2010 at 18. His points don’t persuade me. Baer begins with the view that a firm operating under a fixed-fee…
Lawyers in-house who manage law firms may want to consider a network of firms in some circumstances. Here are two more of them. “Law Europe EEIG is a group of 25 law firms, principally located in Europe but with members in the United States, Brazil and India. With more than…
One of the provisions in the Council on Litigation Management’s Litigation Guidelines (Para. XIV) establishes the right of a legal department to go back over bills even after the department has paid them. “These audits may be conducted at your office or we may request that specific files and documentation…
Inside lawyers squawk about internal conferences at law firms and how timekeepers bill for them. Partners squawk back, because they understand that it is valuable to consult with peers, delegate work, and share knowledge, the purposes, that is, of internal meetings and conference calls. Even so, general counsel have rolled…
An interview of Stasia Kelly, the controversial general counsel of AIG who recently resigned, appears in Fortune, March 1, 2010 at 48-49. Kelly explains her relationship with Bob Willumstad, who took over as CEO and was her boss. One critical event was a meeting between Tim Geithner (than head of…
In Met. Corp. Counsel, Vol. 18, Feb. 2010 at 11, a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges (James Quinn) summarized one of the insights the firm derived from a client satisfaction survey. The firm identified “an overwhelming desire on the part of clients to get to know and work directly…