How big firms are trying to keep lawyers from burning out

Resource management efforts seek to match lawyers’ skills with legal matters and divide work more equitably, while treating career development as a crucial DEI element.

By Justin Bachman • July 24, 2024

Labor Department, challengers argue over ESG rule’s tiebreaker standard post-Chevron

A lawyer for the agency said he believes “the logic of the District Court's opinion would produce the same result” under the Loper Bright ruling.

By Lamar Johnson • Updated July 10, 2024

AI software use growing among in-house legal departments: report

Artificial intelligence remains a small newcomer in the legal tech toolbox but ‘dramatic growth’ is forecast, according to an in-house counsel survey.

By Justin Bachman • June 27, 2024

How a third-party auditor helps GCs lower outside counsel spend

In one business model, the service is said to be effectively free because the fee comes out of the savings that are generated.

By Robert Freedman • June 10, 2024

Company touts live bidding process to reduce outside counsel spend

By giving law firms a chance to adjust their proposals, legal teams can engage litigation or transaction work at a lower cost than initially proposed, a white paper says. 

By Robert Freedman • May 30, 2024

Taking the pulse on the IPO landscape: Part 2

Revisiting a conversation between Broadridge’s Jennifer Flynn and Cooley’s Yvan-Claude Pierre.

May 6, 2024

Taking the pulse on the IPO landscape: Part 1

A conversation between Broadridge’s Jennifer Flynn and Cooley’s Yvan-Claude Pierre.

April 29, 2024

GCs urged to act before employees become whistleblowers

By shifting the burden to employers, the Supreme Court’s Murray v. UBS ruling makes it crucial that executives not let employees feel ignored when they report concerns.

By David Weisenfeld • Feb. 23, 2024

61% of organizations faced regulatory proceedings in 2023, report finds

Survey respondents said state and federal regulatory changes are contributing to fears about increased exposure to regulatory disputes, according to Norton Rose Fulbright.

By Lyle Moran • Feb. 13, 2024

Law firms raised rates 6.5% to close 2023, report finds

Outside counsel also reduced their growth in expenses, which helped firms achieve profitability last year, according to Thomson Reuters.

By Lyle Moran • Feb. 12, 2024

Nearly 70% of law firm professionals use legal analytics

An expectation from clients that law firms use analytics tools is helping drive adoption, a LexisNexis and Lex Machina report found.

By Lyle Moran • Feb. 7, 2024

Data breach class actions are on the rise, report finds

The data breach cases also presented difficulties for the courts around issues of standing and uninjured class members, the Duane Morris report found.

By Lyle Moran • Feb. 6, 2024

42% of legal teams face cost-cutting mandates, ACC survey finds

One way many legal departments are aiming to reduce spending is by improving the efficiency of their operations.

By Lyle Moran • Jan. 30, 2024

2024 in-house legal outlook series: GCs, CLOs ready for hard decisions

Legal leaders look at practical generative AI use cases and get tough on outside counsel spend, among other priorities this year.  

By Lyle Moran and Robert Freedman • Jan. 29, 2024

Outside counsel management is a growing focus for in-house legal teams

An emphasis on cost control is prompting legal departments to scrutinize law firm rate requests and examine shifting work to other providers who cost less.

By Lyle Moran • Jan. 29, 2024

Law firm security breaches are fairly common, survey finds

The tech decision-makers surveyed said improved training and technology would help their law firms become better prepared to address cybersecurity threats.

By Lyle Moran • Jan. 22, 2024

A CLO’s GenAI prediction: We’ll lean into it — and our humanity

A human-centric, converged approach to harnessing new technology is what will truly make 2024 in-house counsel’s time to shine.

By Shana Simmons • Jan. 18, 2024

Legal teams advised to review outside counsel staffing

Legal operations units can serve as watchdogs to see if additional members of a law firm are added to submitted bills, according to Thomson Reuters. 

By Lyle Moran • Jan. 16, 2024

40% of GCs expect to increase outside counsel spending

Amid increasing matter volumes, many corporate law departments are struggling with capacity and need the assistance of external law firms, a Thomson Reuters report said. 

By Lyle Moran • Jan. 12, 2024

6 in-house legal trends to watch in 2024

AI, labor, antitrust, bankruptcies, women GCs and cross-collaboration are among the headlines in-house counsel can expect this year.  

By Lyle Moran and Robert Freedman • Jan. 9, 2024

Should you sue your lawyer for malpractice? Four questions to ask

If a lawyer’s bad conduct harms your company, a malpractice suit may be a great way to make your company whole. 

By Bill Zapf and Matt Kaiser • Jan. 5, 2024

Largest law firms charge nearly $1,000 an hour, report finds

The 4.8% rate increase through Q3 2023 was more than triple the bump last year among the Am Law 100, according to a Brightflag report.

By Lyle Moran • Dec. 11, 2023

Are law firms ignoring their most critical assets?

The path to a more diverse and inclusive legal market is wide open, and firms must act intentionally to achieve meaningful change. 

By Catherine Krow • Nov. 29, 2023

Pushing back against outside firms’ rate hikes starts with data

Data can help legal teams show outside firms they’re asking for too much money, billing specialists say.

By Robert Freedman • Nov. 29, 2023

Law firms raised rates 6.3% in Q3, report finds

Demand also ticked up slightly and firms reduced associate hiring to slow expense growth, according to the Thomson Reuters Institute.

By Lyle Moran • Nov. 22, 2023