Finance:Counsel On Call
Counsel On Call is a legal services company that works with corporate law departments, law firms and government entities in all areas of law. It is a certified woman-owned business enterprise and has strict experience requirements of its attorneys and focuses on value-oriented services and billing.[1]
Business model
Counsel On Call falls into the virtual law firm category of professional services providers, although it is not technically a law firm. According to the company's website, it is able to provide its services at low rates mainly because it does not have the overhead expenses of traditional legal service providers and does not consider itself a staffing company. Each of Counsel On Call’s corporate employees who interact with clients and attorney candidates are former practicing attorneys [2] and focus on process, collaboration and cost containment.[3]
History
The company was founded by Jane Hanner Allen in April 2000 in Nashville, Tennessee. Allen, who at the time practiced employment law with Doramus, Trauger & Ney (now Trauger & Tuke), recognized that many talented attorneys, especially women, were being driven from the legal profession because they wanted to pursue other interests in addition to the practice of law. She saw an opportunity for these attorneys to help clients contain costs while practicing law on their terms, unconcerned about the partnership track, billing requirements or other issues prevalent at many law firms.[4]
Since 2000, the company has opened offices in Memphis, Atlanta, Chicago and Boston. Counsel On Call has a presence in Charlotte and Dallas, as well as attorneys working in cities across the U.S. The company has been named to Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. three times.[5]
E-Discovery division
Litigation is one of the biggest line items in a legal budget, and the discovery process, including electronic discovery (e-discovery), is typically the most expensive part of litigation.[6] Counsel On Call formally established its E-Discovery Division in 2007, led by Richard Stout, and Counsel On Call clients such as Fidelity Investments and Hospital Corporation of America have discussed how they have partnered with Counsel On Call's E-Discovery Division.[7]
Clients
Counsel On Call predominantly works with the corporate legal departments of Fortune 500, publicly traded companies, and large private companies, as well as law firms of all sizes, including many of the AmLaw 200. The company’s Atlanta office, for example, currently works with 12 of the 13 largest publicly traded companies and 14 of the 15 largest law firms in the market.[8]
References
- ↑ Pfeiffer, Sacha (May 5, 2008). "These temp lawyers are top-notch, a new firm in Boston promises". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/05/05/these_temp_lawyers_are_top_notch_a_new_firm_in_boston_promises/.
- ↑ "Contract Work Evolves With Times,” Fulton County Daily Report, April 21, 2008
- ↑ "Economy forces law firms to get creative with client billing,” Nashville Business Journal, April 24, 2009
- ↑ "Virtual Law Firms Stay Afloat in Tough Times,” Law Technology News, May 26, 2009
- ↑ "Business Tennessee's Fast 50," BusinessTN, August 2006
- ↑ "Slashing E-Discovery Costs in a Digital Universe," Litigation Support Today, Feb. 3, 2009
- ↑ "Q&A: Sue Dyer, Senior Litigation Counsel, HCA: "A Repeatable Process" Lawdable, Nov. 4, 2008
- ↑ "Contract Work Evolves With Times,” Fulton County Daily Report, April 21, 2008
External links
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