As you reflect on the past year, it is worth taking a moment to consider how your law firms are delivering for you. Are they anticipating your needs? Investing in your relationship? Maintaining a high standard of client service? It is likely that some of your firms have become complacent. In this competitive legal marketplace, […]

Over the past few weeks there have been a series of related headlines about the business of law that, at face value, tell a puzzling story. First, there was news that law firms have been raising their hourly rates. It was suggested this was tied to the fact law firms had significantly raised associate salaries for […]

The discussion continues about value-based pricing. D. Casey Flaherty (with the support of the ACC’s Legal Ops External Resources Interest Group) published a lengthy guide to getting more out of your relationships with outside counsel. Among many topics covered, value-based fees took a place on the stage. Although acknowledging the centrality of the billable hour, […]

Per BTI Consulting, 56% of legal departments ran at least one RFP of some type last year when hiring outside legal services. That is an encouraging sign for those of us who believe in the power of competition to enable better decisions about who to hire. It also means, however, close to half of legal departments […]

Managing outside counsel is complicated. And, so are their bills. With complex itemizations and unclear formats, the bills trigger misunderstandings and lead to frustration. For many reasons, forecasting your annual budget is a challenge. You often wonder what you can do to help simplify the bills and drive predictability in your budget. Many in-house teams […]

Law firms often ask us what clients look for in RFP responses. Beyond competitive pricing and sound expertise and service, the specifics vary significantly from client-to-client. After pouring through proposal after proposal, it has come clear to us that there are some potholes to avoid. Here are four key watch-outs for law firms when preparing […]

What would you want if you were on the receiving end of an RFP?  You would likely have a couple simple requests.  Experience shows that a respectful RFP, at its core, has two key elements:  honest communication and clear instructions. Honest Communication From pre-launch through firm-selection and final communication to the participants, honest communication is […]

Your law firms are under pressure. Although it’s unlikely to come up in conversation, they are more appreciative of your business than ever. The truth is that they will bend over backward to keep your work. So what do law firms know that they aren’t necessarily telling you? Client Demand is Softening External legal spending has […]

There has been a lot of chatter of late about “big data” and measuring law firm rates, efficiency and value. In a marketplace as fragmented as the market for outside counsel, big data no doubt can help separate those who provide solid bang for the buck from those who over charge and under deliver. But […]