Hiring partners only

Does it make sense to hire only partners? Here’s a man bites dog tale. The General Counsel of a small insurance company, with four corporate lawyers and a larger number of claims staff, stated publicly that her policy was to retain the services only of law firm partners. Partners only?

For most law departments, this recipe would taste terrible. Economics would sour it. If, however, you primarily seek experienced counsel from the lawyers you hire (frontal lobes), rather than an extra resource (arms and legs), she has made the right decision; turn to a busy veteran partner for cost-effective legal advice.