Page 15 - CCCA64_2012

CCCA_V6No4_Dept-LawDeptMgmt-FIN_CCCA_V6No4 11/26/12 3:17 PM Page 15 components. There has to be a better, more the audacity to bill my client the cost of travel or meetings, setting up files, confer- Law Department Management activating its air conditioning after hours ence room charges, receiving and distrib- aligned way to achieve this than the ongo- when it was hot outside. I guess experi- uting mail, checking mail (which I suppose ing, binary cat and mouse game where cor- ences like this are what led one of our large is different from reading it), press clipping porate clients try to use every means possi- company clients to remind us in our services, pencils and binders, CLE semi- ble, including sophisticated software tools engagement letter that: “Our billing rules nars, dry cleaning and laundry, Pay TV and even dedicated personnel, to curb out- preclude billing for most types of expenses movies, mini-bar charges (what about the side firms in conducting themselves in the based on [our] view that these expenses are full bar?), traffic tickets, watercraft vehicles very way they continue to be incented to part of your firm’s overhead.” That was (there goes my James Bond fantasy) and stay profitable. quite shocking to me. After all, when I take my personal favourite (because I looked it my car to the mechanic, I’m totally pre- up to see what it meant): bate stamping. Joe Milstone is co- pared, in addition to the cost of service, to Corporate counsel have long since won founder of Cognition pay for the electricity in the shop, the dis- the battle of justifying their existence in the LLP, an innovative, tilled water they drink when thirsty and business. However, the days are gone when alternative law firm the online trade publication they need to their departments and budgets are “sacred” that provides corpo- find the right parts for me. and not subject to the scrutiny of every rate counsel services Included in the negative command- other business unit in the organization. As a to businesses and legal departments under ments that we have been told we can’t bill result, the fundamental financial barometer affordable and flexible engagements, and with for, much to our chagrin now that we’ve to corporate counsel is total cost of service lawyers possessing a unique blend of private thought about it some more, are arranging delivery regardless of the breakdown of the practice and in-house experience. « LA RÉFÉRENCE “ THE BENCHMARK EN PROPRIÉTÉ FOR INTELLECTUAL INTELLECTUELLE » PROPERTY ” – RÉSULTATS DE SONDAGES PAR/RESULTS OF SURVEYS BY THE CANADIAN LEGAL LEXPERT DIRECTORY ROBIC, S.E.N.C.R.L./LLP Montréal: + 1 514 9876242 @ROBICCanada Québec: + 1 418 6531888 /ROBICCanada www.robic.ca /company/ROBIC HIVER 2012 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association 15