Signs of the times: The rise of managed legal services

This month I am delighted to welcome Catherine J. (CJ) Moynihan as a contributor to Dialogue. As a senior director of legal management services at the Association of Corporate Counsel,  she is the subject matter expert on managing the legal function, legal spending, and the ACC Value Challenge. Catherine has many and special perspectives on changes in the legal services supply chain, especially those being driven by clients.

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Posted by on Oct 17, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Law departments, Legal services ecosystem | 0 comments

New players driving value for legal departments

New players driving value for legal departments was written by Mark Cohen and Liam Brown and originally appeared in Canadian Corporate Counsel Association magazine. As I read it, the key point Mark and Liam make is that the NewLaw players, while still tiny in market share, are teaching clients new tricks. And this spells big opportunity – or trouble if they’re asleep at the wheel – for BigLaw incumbents.  

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Posted by on Oct 12, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Clients, NewLaw business models | 1 comment

“We’ll have a chat at the end” – a $20B black hole

We lawyers detest talking about our fees with our clients, yet analysis suggests this is leaving a $20B black hole in the revenue of BigLaw firms.

Richard Burcher’s firm, Validatum, has worked with over 300 law firms in 18 countries and if there is one common denominator he observes, it is a shared perspective that the price conversation is the most unpalatable and stressful aspect of the lawyer/client relationship.

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Posted by on Oct 3, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Pricing | 0 comments

Conduit Law is returning to its roots

Dialogue is not a news service. But the announcement from Toronto today that Conduit Law is returning to its roots warrants inclusion in these pages because, with what I assume to be the buy-back from Deloitte, it heralds another chapter in the evolution of the NewLaw business model.

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Posted by on Sep 30, 2017 in NewLaw business models | 0 comments

Embrace the Rebels

Publication of Embrace the Rebels marks Heather Suttie joining Dialogue as a contributor. I am most grateful to Heather – indeed to all those who accept my invitation to contribute.

Embrace the Rebels is subtitled Law firms risk market erosion by ignoring the audacious in their ranks heralding Heather’s exhortation for BigLaw to recognize and enable one of their greatest assets – young professionals – to blossom. 

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Posted by on Sep 27, 2017 in BigLaw firms, Lawyers | 1 comment