the end of big law firms?

The End of Big Law Firms?Rethinking Legal Services Delivery Models

in the 21st Century

Presenter Mark Lassiter, Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator

The Lassiter Law Firm, Lex Projex™

Let’s break it down…

Why do we have law firms

anyway?

Reasons why law firms arose…

Physical Location w/Means of Production

Knowledge, Mentoring & Collegiality

Administration & Support

Got Work?

BRAND

Do You Really Need a Law Firm for…

• Administration & Support?– Law Librarian?– Receptionist?

• Physical Location for Means of Production?– Phones? – Computers? – Dictation & Transcription?

• Mentoring & Knowledge Management?• Got Work?

– Now THAT’s the only remaining question…

Reception Accounting InformationTechnologyMail Office

SuppliesFax Billing

HelpDesk

E-mail

DataStorage

MailroomAccountsPayable /Receivable

FinanceCollections

Marketing

PublicRelations

Payroll WebSite

CRMRecords &Document

Management

Management& HumanResources

OVERHEAD FOOTPRINT

Latter 20th Century Law Firm ‘Pyramid’ Economic Model

Equity Partners

Jr. Partners

Associates???

Early 21st Century Law Firm ‘Diamond’ Economic Model

The Next “Shape” for “Big Law Firms?

Let’s break it down…

Source: Jeff Carr

What do Lawyers & Law Firms Really Do?

Historic law firm essential services

Advocacy

Counseling & Advice

Content

Processes

Source: Jeff Carr

Advocacy

Counseling & Advice

Content

Processes

The “Unbundling” of Legal Services

Source: Jeff Carr

The Modern Dilemma - A Lawyer’s Competing Demands…

Law Firm

Increase firm/own income by generating work done by firm’s own employees?

Outsource work to non-firm workers who can do it better, faster, cheaper?

Clients

The inherent conflict between the best interests of the ‘Firm’ and of the ‘Client’

Law Firm wants to keep its traditional,

‘Pyramid’ or ‘Diamond’ way of doing business…

Client wants VALUE – doesn’t care about preserving the Law Firm’s ‘structure’

How will this inherent tension

play out?

Alternatives to Law Firms?…

[A lawyer could] … become an exquisitely talented maestro of assembling just-in-time teams you put together for one project at a time, with the precise blend of talents, capabilities, and capacities to get the job done and then to disperse (think producing a Hollywood movie or constructing a major downtown office) …

MacEwen, Bruce (2012-12-10). Growth is Dead: Now What? Law firms on the brink (Kindle Locations 1958-1976). Adam Smith, Esq., LLC. Kindle Edition.

“Just in Time Teams”?…

Alternatives to Law Firms?…

ATTORNEYS

"Closed Legal Community"

#1

#2

#3

#4

CALL CENTERRECEPTION

ADMIN/HR

MARKETINGACCOUNTING

INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY

MAILROOMBUSINESS

ANALYTICS

SERVICEBUREAUS

LEGALPROCESS

OUTSOURCECOMPANIES

ESI / EEDVENDORS

CONTRACTPARALEGALS

CONTRACTATTORNEYS

COURTREPORTERS

EXPERTS

Alternative 21st Century Legal Services Delivery Model?

Mark E. LassiterDirect: 480-218-4455Email: Mark@lexprojex.com

@MarkELassiter

* From Jordan Furlong Book – EVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Pg. 14

Great quote from Legal Analyst & Thought Leader Jordan Furlong about what new, small firms will start to look like in about 2016*

“Unbundling” of 21st Century Legal Services

Lawyers Paralegals Staff

Non-Firm/OutsourcedWorkers

FirmEmployees

Originating orResponsible Attorney

Future legal teams may be a ‘mixed bag’…

Lawyers Paralegals Staff