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CCCA_V3No1_Dept-Performance-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No2_Dept-MgLaw-V1.qxd 1/21/09 2:43 PM Page 12 Performance In The Law Department business units should call on the law work week, sending more work to law risks and rewards for success. department. Fewer still have formal pro- firms, and by doing “non-legal” opera- All this comes with a couple of years of grams designed to reduce the dependen- tional support work for which the busi- practice based on trust. General Counsel cy on the department. The preference is ness unit is accountable. would do well to persuade one or two of to keep an “open policy” to demonstrate their preferred firms to accompany them value and to minimize legal and business 3. Re-negotiate economic arrange- in customizing such innovations. The risk for the company. ments with firms. This is the “break out tools are in place and the tipping point for Recent surveys show that accessibility of the box”opportunity.Assuming that the professional practice in law firms is not far to the law department is not a problem. maximum discounts were obtained some away. Rather,turnaround and timely communi- years ago, then the next step is to move cations are a much more significant chal- away from the hourly billing paradigm. Richard G. Stock, lenge. To that is added the increase in the Few corporate counsel have experience M.A., FCIS, CMC length of the average work week for cor- with case and matter budgeting for com- is a partner with porate counsel: well over 50 hours is the plex transactional work and for complex Catalyst Consulting. new normal. Legal departments must litigation. But a few firms have seen a The firm has been learn to manage the expectations of their competitive advantage in giving clients designated by the primary users by introducing work-intake predictability in legal fees and sharing the Canadian Corporate protocols and service-level agreements. risk and rewards of success in outcomes. Counsel Association as a Recognized Supplier These cover who can call the depart- Other types of professional service firms of Law Department Services Consulting. It is ment, the management of contacts and have long ago adopted pricing strategies a Program Partner with the Australian interruptions (calls, emails and visits) and for complex work.They have built in the Corporate Lawyers Association. Richard can be turnaround standards. It is no longer pos- mechanisms (change orders) to handle the contacted at (416) 367-4447 ext 1 or through sible to cope by simply lengthening the unforeseen and to share the downside the website at rstock@catalystlegal.com. 12 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SPRING 2009