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CCCA_V3No2_RFP-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_DriversSeat-FIN.qxd 4/27/09 5:40 PM Page 33 Feature could see they were going to 15 firms,” he says.“You don’t go to 15 firms.You sort of hope they’ve done some research before- hand.You know if you get 15 packages,you’re going to be invest- ing hundreds of hours if you analyze them properly.” If intuition tells him his firm can’t possibly win a particular proposal, he may choose not to respond.“When you feel they’re just coming to you to match a price, this is something we don’t want to do,” he says. “Sometimes to be politically correct, you have to respond to them regardless — but I can assure you, we invest a little bit less time in those than in the RFPs where we think the playing field is level.” Counter-productive? But not everyone is a fan of RFPs. Robert Patzelt, vice-president, risk management and general counsel with Scotia Investments Ltd. in Bedford,Nova Scotia,has lectured on the sub- ject of RFPs — but says he never uses them. He believes there are precious few situa- tions where he thinks an RFP is the best way for a legal department to go. “RFPs were stolen from the procure- ment side of the world,” says Patzelt, a former CCCA president. “They’re time-consuming and they don’t get you to the right result in many cases.” His view is that most of the time, it makes much more sense to hire a lawyer, not a law firm, and to use time-tested, traditional channels to do so — references, word of mouth, existing relationships and, of course, the telephone. He objects to the use of RFPs to cut costs, express dissatisfaction with current providers, or adhere to corporate policy. “You want to reduce your price — well,don’t go shopping,” he advises. “Just pick up the phone and “RFPs were stolen from the procure- call your lead partner in the firm and say,‘Here’s my ment side of the world.They’re time- issue: I need to shave costs.What can we do?’ consuming and they don’t get you to “Or suppose you’re unhappy with the people you’ve been using, and you want to send them a the right result in many cases.” message,” he says. “My response would be to call them up, go to their office, chew them out: here are Robert Patzelt the issues we’re having. Manage that file, tell them Vice-President, Risk Management and General Counsel Scotia Investments Ltd. you’re unhappy.” SPYROS BOURBOULIS MARVIN MOORE requiring RFPs — it doesn’t necessarily make Patzelt has little patience for company policy Halifax sense for the situation at hand. As an analogy, he says, he’s been going to the same dentist for over 33