Comments on: Law Firm 2.5 – Richard Susskind – The End of Lawyers http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/03/law-firm-25-richard-susskind-the-end-of-lawyers.php Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:37:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Law Firm 2.0 – What might the future of law firms look like? | Mendelson's Musings http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/03/law-firm-25-richard-susskind-the-end-of-lawyers.php/comment-page-1#comment-2901 Law Firm 2.0 – What might the future of law firms look like? | Mendelson's Musings Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:49:05 +0000 http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/03/law-firm-25-richard-susskind-the-end-of-lawyers.php#comment-2901 [...] First, the continued splintering of the relationship between the client and the firm will splinter in ways that will minimize their involvement over time. Lawyers who really want to practice in the traditional start-up ecosystem and function as true outside general counsels may be forced to leave their large firms and create and / or join smaller, boutique firms with radically different cost structures. I think that as clients use their lawyers less they will begin to see legal services as a commodity, a prediction also made by Richard Susskind. [...] [...] First, the continued splintering of the relationship between the client and the firm will splinter in ways that will minimize their involvement over time. Lawyers who really want to practice in the traditional start-up ecosystem and function as true outside general counsels may be forced to leave their large firms and create and / or join smaller, boutique firms with radically different cost structures. I think that as clients use their lawyers less they will begin to see legal services as a commodity, a prediction also made by Richard Susskind. [...]

]]> By: Derek Scruggs http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/03/law-firm-25-richard-susskind-the-end-of-lawyers.php/comment-page-1#comment-2136 Derek Scruggs Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:21:56 +0000 http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/03/law-firm-25-richard-susskind-the-end-of-lawyers.php#comment-2136 One thing I've noticed lately is that Big Co lawyers "de-commoditize" themselves via agressive agreements. We recently had a Big Co client insist that we sign a licensing agreement on one of our standard plans. We never do this. You either like the TOS (which are very liberal) or don't buy. But they insisted and we told them it would cost more money, which they agreed to. The draft they sent us was ridiculously one-sided. I just kept saying no to all the crazy terms (not even involving our laywer, because I insisted this was not a negotiation where we meet halfway, just removal of craziness by them) until they finally relented on pretty much everything. The one thing they wouldn't back down on is 45 day payment terms. I told them that was fine but they couldn't have the product until we received payment. They agreed. Eventually the deal got done, but they paid more for our product as a result, they probably spent more than the product costs on their lawyers, and they delayed their own access to the product by up to 45 days. How is the client served by this? One thing I've noticed lately is that Big Co lawyers "de-commoditize" themselves via agressive agreements. We recently had a Big Co client insist that we sign a licensing agreement on one of our standard plans. We never do this. You either like the TOS (which are very liberal) or don't buy.

But they insisted and we told them it would cost more money, which they agreed to. The draft they sent us was ridiculously one-sided. I just kept saying no to all the crazy terms (not even involving our laywer, because I insisted this was not a negotiation where we meet halfway, just removal of craziness by them) until they finally relented on pretty much everything. The one thing they wouldn't back down on is 45 day payment terms. I told them that was fine but they couldn't have the product until we received payment. They agreed.

Eventually the deal got done, but they paid more for our product as a result, they probably spent more than the product costs on their lawyers, and they delayed their own access to the product by up to 45 days. How is the client served by this?

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