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International Edition

The great fees debate

Late last year, members of the Commerce and Industry (C&I) Group of leading in-house lawyers spelled out their feelings on legal services billing in a report produced in conjunction with accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward. The report raises some important points. As its title 'Stop the Clock' implies, large numbers of in-house lawyers expressed dissatisfaction with the traditional way that law firms charge for their services - by the hour. Some eight in 10 of the in-house lawyers surveyed said time-based billing provided no incentive for law firms to be quick and efficient and the major perceived problem with this system, says the report, is that billing based on time spent fails to reflect the real value of the work involved, usually to the advantage of the law firm. Consequently, the report claims, the cost of legal services has been rising exponentially at a time when general counsel are under internal pressure to keep their budgets under control.
5 minute read

International Edition

The long return

Cast your mind back a few weeks, if you will, to 2 January, 2008 - the day many of you will have returned to work after the Christmas break.
7 minute read

International Edition

The next level

Technology, as IT guru Richard Susskind and others have been telling us for years, has the capacity to transform the way law firms do business, making them leaner, meaner organisations that are better able to respond to client needs and provide the working experience that their employees demand. Yet while efficiency gains have been achieved, many of the fundamentals of legal practice remain much as they have ever been and legal technology has, so far, been deployed primarily to make traditional methods of doing things quicker. After so many false dawns, it is perhaps unsurprising that the combination of the words 'legal' and 'IT' have a glazing effect on the eyes of many law firm managers.
7 minute read

International Edition

Watch your waste

Minimising environmental damage is now at the heart of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies in today's top law firms. The chances are that you are already trying to reduce your paper usage and recycle as much as possible. But the legal profession, like the rest of the business world, is at risk if it does not dispose of its documentation in a safe and reliable manner. Do your offices have separate paper recycling bins for confidential and non-confidential paper waste? Are they lockable? What happens to evidence contained on video tapes and DVDs when you are no longer required to store it? And do you know what happens to it once it has left your offices?
6 minute read

International Edition

The outsourcing guide

It is now commonly accepted business practice to adopt outsourcing as a means of refocusing organisations on core matters, reducing non-core operational risk, improving quality and staff morale and reducing cost. Although law firms have been relatively slow on the uptake to date, the legal sector can still take advantage of outsourcing and offshoring. Magic circle giant Clifford Chance has led the field by moving back office and secretarial support to its own office in India, in order to carry out much of the company's administrative work. The outsourcing programme is expected to yield more than £9.5m in annual savings. Similarly, Pinsent Masons announced a deal to offshore its bulk typing and transcription services as part of a move to change the role of its secretaries.
6 minute read

International Edition

Lost in translation services

The demand for translation, transcription and interpretation services is growing rapidly among law firms, thanks to today's globalised business world. With this increase in demand, comes increased pressure on the suppliers of these services to meet tighter deadlines, reduce prices, maintain word-perfect accuracy and respect client confidentiality. Clients also demand a 24-hour, personalised service. Law firms are starting to realise the importance of this area of the business and study its performance with greater diligence. A procurement team at one of the UK's leading law firms recently undertook an analysis of its expenditure and current business practices in this field.
5 minute read

International Edition

The art of intelligent selling

In today's highly competitive legal services market, building an effective 'sales culture' is seen by many law firms as critical to the long-term success…
7 minute read

International Edition

Net that student

In the world of legal business, law firms are recognised by certain characteristics that observers perceive as being synonymous with them. People recall a firm from their perception of it - think litigation, think Herbert Smith - resulting in an image or brand that can be difficult to control. Reputations are formed, talked about, enhanced, damaged, consolidated. Yet how are perceptions actually gained in the first place, or altered, and how do they affect decision-making? For clients, practice area reputation and trusted recommendation are likely to be major factors. But what about graduates; how are their perceptions changed and how does this sway their choices come application time?
6 minute read

International Edition

The chosen few

As general counsel respond to pressure to reduce and rationalise their choice of legal adviser, legal panels are shrinking. Philip Hoult reports on the findings of this year's Legal Week Intelligence Client Satisfaction Survey
8 minute read

International Edition

Managing/Senior Partner of the Year 2007: David Pester, TLT

The British Legal Awards 2007: Managing/Senior Partner of the Year. Winner: David Pester, TLT. Finalists: Peter Crossley, Hammonds; Kevin Gold, Mishcon de Reya; Moira Gilmour, Field Fisher Waterhouse; David Gray, Eversheds; Joy Kingsley, Pannone
4 minute read

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