A Pitch for Boutiques

In the post-recession era of “do more with less” the pressure is on to find alternatives. Focusing on alternative legal service providers is one strategy; but there is another strategy to consider — retaining solo practitioners and boutique firms. Many seasoned lawyers move to smaller firms because they believe the boutique model better aligns with clients’ interests. The drive to “leverage” by managing multiple associates across a range of matters is diminished, if not eliminated, in the small firm setting.

Small firm and solo lawyers tend to have the luxury of being more hands-on with their clients. They can connect directly with general counsel to pinpoint goals and desired outcomes. They can collaborate in real time to work through challenges or assess options, and to understand and appreciate company dynamics via onsite visits or embedded working situations. Knowing the big picture, these independent lawyers can also execute without filtering this knowledge down to others for follow-through.

High-quality boutique firms can be hard to find, and even harder and more time consuming to vet. This is where solo and small firm networks can help. Many networks carefully vet their members, ensuring that only those with specified qualifications and experience, such as significant Big Law or in-house backgrounds, may belong to the group. By tapping the resources of a vetted network, general counsel can access hundreds of experienced solo and small firm attorneys across the full range of practices, specialties and jurisdictions worldwide.