Selecting and Managing Outside Counsel
Negotiating the Complex Business, Financial and Legal Issues
Recording of a 90-minute CLE webinar with Q&A
This seminar will review what corporate counsel must know to select and work effectively with outside counsel. The panel will present their insights and perspectives on negotiating fee arrangements and monitoring performance and billing practices of outside counsel.
Outline
- Selecting outside counsel
- Cost/benefit analysis
- Objective criteria
- Competitive bids
- Conflict waiver
- Effective engagement letters
- Negotiating fee arrangements that reward performance
- Managing outside counsel
- Execute written agreement outlining expectations and fee arrangement
- Establish metrics to determine effectiveness and efficiency
- Establish efficient review processes
- Regularly evaluate work performance and identify areas needing improvement
- Require detailed budget and billings
- Monitor bills for non-approved charges and inefficiencies
- Monitor hourly rates and expenses for reasonableness
- Document and electronic data preservation
- Resolving conflicts
- Disagreements over legal strategy
- Performance concerns
- Personality differences and/or communication issues
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key questions:
- How does the distressed economy impact the use and selection of outside counsel?
- What issues should the general counsel consider in evaluating whether to hire outside counsel and how to select the right outside firm for the work?
- What are the best practices for inhouse counsel in managing and working with outside counsel, particularly dealing with disagreements over strategy?
Faculty
Linda M. Kearney
Managing Associate General Counsel
WellPoint
She manages litigation nationwide for WellPoint’s UniCare/HealthLink subsidiaries. She was also responsible for... | Read More
She manages litigation nationwide for WellPoint’s UniCare/HealthLink subsidiaries. She was also responsible for the company’s outside counsel convergence initiative.
CloseKirk W. Watkins
Attorney at Law
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice
He has worked with corporate counsel on complex litigation matters for over 30 years, including innovative alternative... | Read More
He has worked with corporate counsel on complex litigation matters for over 30 years, including innovative alternative fee agreements and metrics for selecting and evaluating outside counsel. He recently participated in the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Annual Meeting and on a panel discussion held by the Atlanta Chapter of the ACC on the Value Challenge Initiative.
CloseRees W. Morrison
Consultant
Rees Morrison Associates
He has consulted to more than 250 law departments during the past 21 years to help them better manage themselves and... | Read More
He has consulted to more than 250 law departments during the past 21 years to help them better manage themselves and their outside counsel. He consults regarding operational reviews, cost control, re-engineering, structure and organization assessments, client satisfaction, technology and benchmarking.
CloseAccess Anytime, Anywhere
Strafford will process CLE credit for one person on each recording. All formats include program handouts.
CLE On-Demand Audio