Rees W Morrison

January 07, 2008 | Texas Lawyer

Benchmark metrics help a general counsel know how well managed his or her law department is compared to other law departments. "Is my spending in line?" "Do I have a typical number of paralegals?"

By Rees W. Morrison

9 minute read

October 01, 2005 | Law.com

Asks that lawyers can do, but shouldn't, are the cellulite of law departments. This burdensome, quasilegal work includes drafting routine correspondence for executives and responding to routine claims that should be dealt with by a business unit.

By Rees W. Morrison

7 minute read

June 06, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

How smoothly a law department takes on a new general counsel can be a testament to the skill of the departing general counsel. After all, the position most often is filled by one of the lawyers who report directly to the departing general counsel.

By Rees W. Morrison

9 minute read

July 11, 2011 | Texas Lawyer

Largely, it is the privilege of the general counsel, and the general counsel only, to retain outside firms. Without sole possession of that right, a general counsel can hardly be held responsible for the fullness of legal outcomes and costs. If clients could turn when they wanted to whatever firm they chose, legal anarchy would result and costs might skyrocket. This does not happen, except for a pocket or two of vestigial rights, such as the tax department and claims, which can hire firms on their own. But, almost without exception, authority to retain external counsel lodges firmly with the general counsel.

By Rees W. Morrison

7 minute read

August 01, 2005 | Corporate Counsel

Quasi-legal work -- the tasks that in-house lawyers do, but shouldn't -- is the cellulite of law departments. What sort of work falls into this category? Basically, anything that anyone without a law degree could do. How can a company trim this fat? According to consultant Rees Morrison, a clear understanding of how in-house lawyers contribute to the company's success can help keep the law department lean and mean.

By Rees W. Morrison

8 minute read

June 23, 2011 | New Jersey Law Journal

The reality of making changes that hold the promise of improving productivity, quality or costs

By Rees W. Morrison

8 minute read

July 15, 2011 | Legaltech News

In the future, four developing data trends will add more punch and usefulness to law department benchmark reports, says Rees W. Morrison, founder of General Counsel Metrics. As general counsel will have to account increasingly for spending and headcounts, he suggests that sophisticated benchmarks, including data visualization, will come to their rescue.

By Rees W. Morrison

8 minute read

August 02, 2004 | Texas Lawyer

Here are six tools to help general counsel in strategic planning.

By Rees W. Morrison

8 minute read

September 19, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

How does a general counsel get individual lawyers to care about the amount of money spent on outside counsel for their matters? Consultant Rees Morrison presents nine techniques that can help in-house lawyers promote effective budget management and trim outside counsel spending. To be sure, saving money cannot be a law department's primary goal; winning and succeeding count more than fees. But in the effort to balance costs and outcomes, these techniques can make a difference, writes Morrison.

By Rees W. Morrison

8 minute read

March 02, 2007 | New Jersey Law Journal

Both law departments and law firms should nurture and reward creativity.

By Rees W. Morrison

9 minute read