Searching for a sign that your company isn’t an outside counsel’s top priority? Legal consultant Jordan Furlong says look no further than the firm’s billing structure. He told Leanne Mezrani of Lawyers Weekly in Australia that the billable hour is a signal the firm is prioritizing its owners and employees—and then its clients.
“No business model that truly prioritized clients’ interests would entrench the billable hour as its pricing and compensation capstone,” as it doesn’t encourage efficiency, quality, client communication or the happiness and health of employees, he told the magazine. And while many new and innovative firms are popping up around the country, the traditional firms have a long way to go to meet client needs. “In a client-first market … the old law firm model is breaking down,” he said.
