If a legal department decides to competitively bid work to several law firms, it should consider early in the process hosting a proposers’ teleconference call. For example, once the department sends a request for proposal to 10 law firms, it should encourage them all to call in two weeks later for a 60- to 90-minute session and to ask questions. Partners and marketing professionals can then hear both the questions and the answers the same as everyone else.
Even if in-house counsel believe they have crafted the best and clearest RFP, a teleconference (or an in-person bidders’ meeting) will still improve the process and increase the likelihood of a successful choice. Particularly, a proposers’ conference call will improve the process’s productivity, equity and results. Consider the reasons why.
