Low cost is low on the totem pole of what global legal departments deem important

Sharp Legal Brands – Global Elite (2009) from Acritas at 28,listed eight key service attributes of law firms and asked its hundreds of respondents to rank them. Around 3,000 GCs and other senior buyers of legal services weighed in and by a clear margin, the least important of the service attributes pertain to cost. (Pricing is still important but that term deals more with alternative fee structures and value for money.)

These law departments steadfastly and clearly rate as significantly more important a firm’s speediness, clarity of message, familiarity with the client, and other non-cost behaviors. Better a fair price for good service than a good price for fair service.