Ethos Business Law

I recently saw this article in Larry Bodine’s blog.  It is a great discussion on how attorneys can be more client-centric and service-oriented by adopting a different business model. It has long been my philosophy that attorneys must constantly redefine ways to create and add value to their clients.  There are certainly better ways of measuring value than the number of hours spent on tasks.

I find one of the best way for a client to leverage value from its corporate counsel is through regular, proactive interaction.  Simply spending time discussing a client’s business and future goals can prove quite productive.  I often work as outside general counsel for clients on a retainer basis — not by hourly fees.  This encourages clients to spend time working with their attorney on proactive strategies and removes the “time” concern.  Moreover, this fosters a better relationship between the parties and allows the attorney to have a better institutional knowledge of the client.  If you are still paying for every minute of your corporate attorney’s time, consider implementing a different business model.

As the end of the year fast approaches, our thoughts turn to holiday cheer and family fun!  However, it is also important to think about a few simple pieces of annual corporate maintenance to protect you and your company.  Two important and often overlooked items include filing the annual registration for your company and holding your annual meetings. (more…)