Editor's Note

I truly believe that running firms more like corporations than private clubs is a very good thing, and I’ve always believed that meritocracies are better than lockstep systems. So kudos to DLA Piper and the other firms that are tossing flat-pay systems and embracing merit-pay structures. The change is difficult, and involves real pain, but the end result will bring us closer to the holy grail of “better, faster, cheaper legal services,” which ultimately benefits all. And hopefully it will help end the disgraceful gender pay inequities that currently plague our profession.

Within that context, this year’s Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery Survey is especially interesting. While everybody is in “withdrawal” about the authors’ decision to no longer rank providers, their thoughtful article highlights some counter-intuitive conclusions. Most significantly, that while we saw a 9% drop in activity last year, they predict EDD will continue to surge. We thank George Socha and Tom Gelbmann for continuing the tradition of providing LTN with an executive summary of their important poll.