Cost-conscious Big Law clients want more bang for their buck, and who can blame them? Don’t we all expect a steep discount on anything we buy these days — houses, TVs, cars — because no one is buying much of anything? Sure we do.

Corporate clients are trying to get creative with their Big Law counsel to save some money. And Big Law is listening. Rumors abound about alternative billing arrangements: “The hourly billing model is dead!” “No more billing in six-minute increments!” Not so fast.