Cell phone calls by lawyers and their locations may some day automatically record data to time tracking systems. That prospect becomes clear from a disturbing item in the Lond. Rev. of Books, Vol. 30, Aug. 14, 2008 at 24. Here is an illustration. If the partner you rely on has…
Partnering with law firms gets a huge play in the law-department press. Several law departments, in addition to DuPont, have publicized their close relationships with their key firms (See my post of March 12, 2007: Pfizer’s Partnering Program; May 3, 2006: UPS’s 25 core law firms; July 20, 2007: YTC’s…
A quote in a recent article set me thinking. The writer was discussing the cost advantage larger departments have over smaller ones, in terms of lower total legal costs as a percentage of annual revenue. My thoughts on why total legal spending as a percentage of revenue (TLS/Rev) is negatively…
This blog does bang on about the drawbacks of relying on junior associates in law firms (See my post of May 11, 2007: associates and complaints about them with 13 references.) In-house managers believe newbie associates don’t know enough, work too slowly, pile on the hours with a heavy hand,…
After six years as the general counsel of Affymetrix, Barbara Caulfield resigned and joined Dewey & LeBoeuf. Nothing unusual, but she brought with her three litigation lawyers from the law department. This news in Corp. Counsel, Vol. 15, July 2008 at 20, made me wonder about the propriety of a…
At a recent presentation, a client who uses an e-billing system mentioned that the software helps cull through bills and detect administrative errors. For example, the software makes sure the law firm is an approved firm, that the matter number and mathematics of the invoice are correct, and that there…
A case note in PLCLaw Dept. Quart., Vol. 3, Jan.-March 2007 at 32, has some points about secondment by the law department of BT, the $38 billion telecoms company (See my post of July 17, 2008: secondment with 12 references; and Jan. 23, 2008.). The legal team of approximately 150…
The law department of BT, the 150 or so lawyers worldwide who serve the $38 billion telecoms giant, conducted its first panel review in 2002, according to PLCLaw Dept. Quart., Vol. 3, Jan.-March 2007 at 31. Based on that case note in the Quarterly, I extracted some points of interest…
A recent article by two partners in a small litigation firm, published in Met. Corp. Counsel, Vol. 16, July 2008 at 39, starts with a provocative claim. The authors believe there are “two very simple reasons why litigation costs have spiraled out of control.” First, law firm attorneys are motivated…
Earlier I describe 18 good practices for competitive bids and RFP processes (See my post of Nov. 30, 2007: 10 recommendations and 11 references; Aug. 13, 2008: 8 tips on competitive tenders and 2 references.). Despite some assertions to the contrary, law firms eagerly seek opportunities to compete for sizeable…