Biglaw, In-House Counsel

Chances Are Your Client Thinks Your Firm Is Stuck In A Rut

I can't imagine how bad the market would have to get to get the rest of these firms on board with modernity.

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This is how it worked in my grandpappy's day and there ain't nothin' wrong with it!

This is how it worked in my grandpappy’s day and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with it!

This may seem obvious, but you probably need your clients to like you. Maybe not personally, but it is really imperative to running a law practice that your clients should respect your area of expertise and think you are on the cutting edge of your field — well, if you want to keep your client, at least.

But according to a recent survey of 300 in-house counsel conducted by the BTI Consulting Group, a majority of general counsel believe that the law firms they work with are stuck in the past. As Law360 reports:

56.5 percent [of survey respondents are] reporting their firms are in a rut. Some firms try but fall short, some fail to communicate their changes to clients, and some simply don’t see the need.

Danger Will Robinson!

Though the percentage of GCs that also believe law firms are moving toward change has increased significantly since 2010 (43.5 percent versus 24.5 percent), it still isn’t inspiring for the profession that so many are stagnant. And though the increase in flexibility is definitely good, I imagine a good deal of those changes were caused by the radical shift in the market caused by the Great Recession. I can’t imagine how bad the market would have to get to get the rest of these firms on board with modernity.

BTI also dug deeper into the makeup of the unchanging firms, and categorized them into three primary types:

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In BTI’s interviews with corporate counsel, it emerged that stagnant law firms tend to fall into one of three categories.

There are the Mercenaries, whose only noticeable change is higher rates.

Sounds about right, have to fund those raises, dontcha see? But seriously, unless the robot devil in all his silver-tongued greatness was himself handling your bet-the-company case, I cannot imagine why you would stick with a firm like this.

Most law firms, however, are either the Talkers or the Oppositional, according to BTI. Talkers may bloviate about change, but it never seems to actually happen. That drives clients crazy and leaves them wondering why firms would even bring up intended changes they don’t intend to deliver on, [BTI President and founder Michael] Rynowecer said.

I promise baby, this time will be different. I’ve changed, really I have.

Oppositional firms just don’t seem to care — when clients suggest or request a change, they’re uninterested, dismissive or reluctant. They avoid alternative fee arrangements and some of them still tell GCs that their requests are counterproductive. Rynowecer said the oppositionals tend to believe their process and approach are superb and they’re delivering excellent client service, but their clients see them as inflexible and unwilling to listen.

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The best offense is… more offense? I’m pretty sure that isn’t how the saying goes, but don’t tell that to these out-of-touch law firms. It would spoil their carefully crafted delusion.

The takeaway from this survey — for all firms, even if you think you are willing to change — is to take a hard look at your best practices and see if they are adequately meeting your clients’ needs:

“There is at least a 50-50 chance that clients think you’re stuck in the past and you don’t realize it,” Rynowecer said. “And the cost of being there is very high.”

GCs Think Most Law Firms Are Stuck In The Past, Survey Says [Law360]

Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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