With just 13 attorneys working in-house at Colliers International, artful management of outside counsel at the commercial real estate powerhouse is critical. Having a small department that maintains tight relationships with about 12 key law firms around the globe gives it the flexibility to provide legal muscle when and where it’s needed, according to Alex Baehr, senior vice president and general counsel.
Much of the budget for legal services at Seattle-based Colliers, which has 13,500 employees and $2 billion in revenue, goes for litigation, Baehr said, often including professional-negligence matters. Another big piece of the budget is corporate work, including intellectual property protection, mergers and acquisitions, and sales.
