04/21/2017
"Internet -based"law firms are interesting animals. I find they are either hit or miss.
There are two that especially have impressed me The lasting power has been +5 years. These firms employ often times retired general counsel, IP specialists, corporate lawyers, pre-litigation specialist for litigation specialist for outside referral, International Attorneys,et al.
Primary advantages of utilizing these type of firms include, for the clients:
1. A very high ratio of top-notch & top-credentialed attorneys seeking a reduction in hours and freedom.
2. Highly experienced general counsel as well as in-house counsel attorneys Who are seeking not work in a corporation any longer but can provide corporate experience enough that they can be managing outside counsel acting as you're in house counsel. They can tie everything together for you. For example, if you need litigation attorneys they will reach out to someone inside (or outside)the firm for a lower-cost consult. At that point you can determine whether or not it is possibly necessary to consult with outside counsel in your jurisdiction and specialization for litigation. The firm will absolutely point you in the right direction and often has contacts that they will warmly introduce you to.
3. Reduced hourly fees. While these lawyers are working remotely, they understand clients needs are often face-to-face to get a better picture and more comfort level. Skype , FaceTime and other proprietary data bases are often used during the hourly billing. This is not the same thing as a face-to-face but then again neither is a phone call or an email which can cost just as much as a regular billable. And has actually increased and honestly, I don't like this where communication between the lawyer and a client becomes an email situation, as I believe that creates a forum for Miscommunication.
Because you're not capable always of contacting your attorney in person, which is a norm this day and age, I feel it's important to have a top talent reduce fees. You will always see that will be the case as you begin your relationship with whichever attorney you find this beneficial practice with. For example a Harvard trained, AmLaw
10 retiring partner would like to devote perhaps one half of the hours before, must realize the same benefits to the clients as they were in their firm environment.
It Stands to reason, that the attorney should be charging The billable hour at a reduced level if they are no longer supported by resources of the top firms. While the attorney maybe cream of the crop, it is imperative to adjust A billable hour from say 800 down to about 450 initially in order to gain your business.
4. Portable books of business generally do not follow Internet legal firms. There are terribly great advantages for a short-term consult, however most of these people are on the retirement levels and seeking to reach out about half the time before. Quality does not change, however, affirming New concepts lacking traditional brick-and-mortar, May feel very uncomfortable to many clients.
5. When it's best? My opinion is it is a great idea for start up companies, smaller businesses, or even nonprofits to engage with the General Counsel or Corporation counsel to head up any general questions,paperwork review, and oversight in order to avoid litigation. It would be important to have a conflict check run right away of the recommended litigation counsel should something arise in The jurisdiction either the client or clients' engagement. I am firm believer that it would be better safe than sorry if you have thousands or even hundreds of conflicts, like to get that out-of-the-way before anything catastrophic or anything that would leave you without pre-litigation counsel to negotiate staying out of the litigation.
6. Niche market foreseeable: Employment law on the side of the employer not even union at all. Employment law also on the side of the employee. There are so many relationship disputes that can be headed off without EEOC action, greater limitations on liability, Title II ADA and Title VII compliance training via webinar type training.
It could be interactive and personal as well. For example even human resources,has always expressed a need for standby counsel in large corporate environments. If you have a candidate/employee who knows what they're talking about, and has really been aggrieved, important to talk to somebody maybe even have a staff psychologist on standby as well. Someone who may be at the edge and had it with any kind of violation falling under title VII /title II ADA grievances, may actually go ahead and follow the EEO grievance procedures and then your maybe come stuck with about two years of discovery as needed by an agency. You may even find it frivolous, however you must pay attention to all employees grievances whether perceived or real. The employee is risking a lot as well by giving up their opportunity for Fairplay, likely parting ways without salary, and a sales noncompete, lack of insurance and benefits realized, and they're not going to want to give that up very lately without some kind of separation package so that If a situation becomes intolerable ,nobody wants an unhappy employee there to suffer further dehumanization and embarrassment when they know that they're going to eventually end up leaving. You also The employer are likely know that situation will not last and it is a critical thing to actually part ways without any kind of major EEOC actions pending or even going to be an issue later on. Often times Counsel will come evaluate that without having to pay an expense an outside firm $80,000 to do an independent review which may not even be the equivalent of their salary or damages. It is very easy to get this kind of review done with an expert
lawyer one on one. It could be part of the employment contract as a reference point prior to any kind of JAMA or mediation arbitration agreements that will be in the venue and the company will know that that will be a major burden on the employee at that time. It would be very very wise to have in place something like this ;A pre-counsel discussion if you will; allow the employee to feel somewhat important that Counsel is paying attention and also for the company to determine whether not claim is colorable. It could also help draw up a negotiate a contract for leaving such as forgiving sales boundaries such as non-competes. There are many ways around litigation and EEO things that don't cost a fortune and can often be worked out between the parties without any kind of aggression or hard feelings.
Again, I find these Internet-based companies to be wonderful for short-term solutions and even longer-term solution is the General Counsel site base to refer her out or within the firm they all have access to a similar database which has the writing on the wall. In other words, you may not know everybody in your firm because He or she may be in the Bahamas for the rest of her life, practicing law with their state license upkeep, but the computer proprietary system will alert A need for a specialization consult. Again you may be at the top of the game, but the fact of the matter is if you would like to take your time off and do it from your house or do it on your hours without having to keep a book of business that is necessarily required institutionalized and portables as well, you are about ready to retire or feeling like you were tired of nonstop competition and also the new portable and automatic institutionalization of some firms, it may be a good choice for you as a solo practitioner to make a lead to affirm capacity of cohorts and expert at your fingertips. Also research will be input via database by often times the paralegal remotely who is listening in on the call or has a summary from you, follow up will be made, due diligence will pass, and jurisdiction levels have to be checked. Advantages of not just hanging out your own shingle:
Malpractice insurance; E&O insurance being much lower as premiums. Social media and advertising, web presence, referrals internally and notable colleagues who have been at the top of their game, And would still like to engage in the practice but not to the levels of pressure cooking that most AmLaw and Chambers Firms likely will always possess. Also make your own schedule if it fits with the firm and you're making your numbers, which are not the extent of your other firms, this is a perfect solution for someone who would like to wind down The hustle and bustle of every day office work from the 80 hour week;
Only having dress properly from the waist up, your own home without the commute makes a beautiful thing too.
Caveats: they do not pay Salary or a base but they do pay your billable hours, your upkeep of your insurance and licensing, your referrals are always there and your advertisement , research ,and finally your ongoing presence as a top attorney and credentialed attorney only at certain firms makes for a beautiful match! It's a work in progress but it may be the thing of the future whereby general counsel type /ACC advice should be given to corporations before seeking outside counsel, a kind of mini in-house counsel? I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings with this because it will definitely drive prices down amongst their peers. However if you're looking for a big firm with the weight the could scare Thoughts of litigation and throw them away, this is not the way to go it's more of a mediation experience before litigating outside. Because it's not your only general counsel or you're only in house counsel, they're able not to charge nearly as high hourly fees and often times little to no retainers unless you want them on Call is your firms quasi-in house counsel.
Remember jurisdiction and venue play a very large role for these firms. Please ask all the questions that you have ahead of time before you actually engage with counsel. There are people on hand to answer these questions the market makers are usually the ones or even the head of the firm on a consultation basis without paying upfront. There's always ways around getting your first paid consultation. This writer does not believe in first time consultation visit fees so is the message we don't take this many cases and we will take your money though for giving you the free advice that we want take your case! Choose wisely look around and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and lessened,litigation environments.
