The traditional method of an attorney charging his client on the basis of the amount of time it took to perform a certain task will soon be a thing of the past. This antiquated concept of hourly charging rates, and subsequently recording time, on a time per unit of work undertaken basis, depending on seniority of fee earner, is in the technologically advanced and global age we operate in, absurd.

In the US, contingency fees are the norm in a wide variety of areas. In UK employment law there is also a widespread use of contingency fees, with fixed fees having existed for several years for industrial disease cases and Road Traffic Accident cases with a value of below ￡10,000.

The question must be asked that if a fixed fee or contingency fee is to be charged, why bother wasting time, recording time? Here in the US firms no longer regard offshoring of legal services and outsourcing as dirty words. Offshoring legal services to common law jurisdiction destinations such as India and South Africa, enables a huge variety of legal work to be carried out at a fraction of the cost of carrying out that same work in-house in the US.

As more and more tasks are offshored firms will simply not be able to charge their client on the basis of an over inflated hourly rate. How can a US Law Firm justify charging a client $800 per hour on a case? In the past this would be on the basis that an experienced partner had conduct of the matter. Today, how much of the “work” would actually be done by the partner, and how would you value the input from everyone else? Do you need to have an hourly rate for every single member of the “team” working on a project, and should everyone be recording the amount of time they spend? Think outside the box a little: How does the IT department who created the case management system and the offshore legal service provider who is carrying out the client’s legal research and coding requirements, bill their time? The straightforward answer is that they don’t. The Law Firms that survive will be those who provide their clients with fixed fees and consign the system of billing and time recording to the history books.

As clients’ demands for greater transparency of charges become more prevalent it will be up to the Law firm to move with the times, to charge for their work on a fixed fee basis and to begin to offshore at the very least, non-core legal services. If they fail to do so they risk losing out to those firms or larger organizations who do embrace these changes. In the UK, “Tesco Law (Ralphs/Walmart Law)” when it arrives, plus on both sides of the Atlantic the currently hitting our computer screens, “internet DIY Law” will further speed up the inevitable changes.

Law Firms need to consider what their core services are. Anything else can be outsourced. Should US and UK Law firms really be wasting associate attorneys’ time in labour intensive, and mind numbingly boring document review projects. Should senior paralegals, be involved in coding and indexing? When did creating huge databases of litigation documentation become “legal work”? As soon as clients understand that this work does not need to be carried out by highly paid US and UK Lawyers, they will no longer accept blindly paying over-inflated hourly rates, on a time recorded basis. They will demand better value for their money and a fixed fee!

Outsourced legal work will no longer be restricted to offshore transcription. When the public realize that for a fraction of the cost their wills, real estate transactions, due diligence and contracts can be draw up and conducted overseas, to the same or better level of quality for a fixed fee, it is not difficult to see where they will turn. They will retain Law Firms who embrace offshoring and fixed fees or simply turn to other more forward thinking legal service providers.

There is an appetite for change in the judiciary. With increasing deregulation many anticipate that the previously mentioned “Tesco/Walmart law” is only round the corner. It would be foolhardy to suggest that such a provider would revert to the traditional time recording technique of charging its potential customers for services provided.

Clients are becoming increasingly aware that excessive hourly rates are simply no longer merited given the generally routine nature of a significant proportion of the legal work carried out on their matters. If one follows the logical conclusion that a fixed fee should be provided to the client for the work to be done, where is the need to time record?

But perhaps most significantly, the advance of technology, the same technology which has enabled us through increasingly more advanced case management systems, to time record effectively, will ultimately see an end to time recording, and indeed billing as we know it. Once lawyers realize that technology enables them to carry out even the more complex legal tasks, at the simple push of a button, in a fraction of the time, then recording time accurately and billing on the basis of this time becomes less and less profitable. The argument that time recording enables managing partners to assess the level of work being carried out by their fee earners also no longer holds true, because the technology in place enables tasks such as standard letters and documentation to be processed in a fraction of the time which would be recorded as single unit for time recording purposes. Those firms that survive will be those who embrace such technology, together with the desires of the client for greater transparency, and provide clients with a fixed fee quotation for the work to be undertaken.

No doubt hourly rates were introduced to reflect the fact that certain tasks would be carried out more effectively by a more senior fee earner who should in turn be more appropriately compensated for his efforts। Firms that continue to thrive will be those who embrace technology, offshore all but non-core legal services, share knowledge with each other, streamline tasks and charge a fixed fee for the work to be undertaken. Senior fee earners are not required to conduct the vast majority of litigation at inflated hourly charge out rates. Senior Lawyers and managers should be out there talking to offshore legal services providers, marketing for business, creating new ventures, clarifying and defining legal issues. The pace at which technology advances is exponential, unless we move with the times in respect of how we charge for the work we do, the client will go somewhere where there is certainty and clarity provided.

]]> http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/26/time-to-stop-time-recording/feed/ 0 http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/26/salary-hikes-ensure-legal-process-outsourcing-flou/ http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/26/salary-hikes-ensure-legal-process-outsourcing-flou/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:33:38 +0000 tinabaa http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/26/salary-hikes-ensure-legal-process-outsourcing-flou/ Salary Hikes Ensure Legal Process Outsourcing Flourishes
The Los Angeles Daily Journal announced in their March 19 issue that pay scales for first-year attorneys rose yet again, with a number of firms hitting a staggering $160,000 starting salary. In the UK, the situation is much the same. The Lawyer.com reported that Linklaters is expected to heat up the pay war with an increase in its associate salaries of around 16 percent, to ￡69,000. The expected hike would push Linklaters ahead of Clifford Chance in the battle to win over top-flight graduates with lucrative starting salaries. Unsurprisingly, the remaining “magic circle” firms are currently “reviewing their salaries”.

Is it just me or does anyone else have a sense of “keeping up with the Joneses” going on here? Why do firms feel such enormous pressure to match each other in junior associate pay? The reason is because they are all trying to compete for the same pool of top talent. The competition for available talent is only going to become even more intense as 75 million baby boomers will soon give way to around 30 million generation X-ers. Although its seems incredulous right now given the preponderance of law school graduates, various studies indicate that there will be a shortage of around 14 million skilled workers in the US by 2020.

How high can the salaries rise and how long can this go on for before the tide turns? The answers lie with the leading firms’ corporate clients. Although there is no present indication that these clients aren’t willing to pay premium bills for multi-million dollar litigation matters, eyebrows are starting to be raised at first year associates’ over inflated hourly rates for routine, transaction based legal work.

The top law firms are perfectly aware of this and realize that while they will continue on the one hand to pay the ever decreasing pool of US and UK skilled talent ever increasing wages, they are also on the look out for cheaper labor elsewhere. This labor has become available through the opening up of the global legal marketplace and the increasing proliferation of offshore and outsourced legal process support companies. The major law firms on both sides of the Atlantic are now looking towards Asia, and in particular India, to provide them with the extra string to their bow that their clients are beginning to demand.

Think about this: we’re not far from the day where the top firms will be paying their newly qualified associates salaries approaching $200,000 per annum. Do these firms and their clients really want these associates’ time spent on document review and routine transaction based tasks if this work can be done elsewhere? If the US and UK talent pool is shrinking, these associates will increasingly be spending their time on higher-end legal work both out of necessity and because their clients will simply not accept anything else. India’s vast pool of highly qualified legal talent is the obvious choice to provide the outsourced legal support the US and UK firms will require. It is this thirst for talent that has led to the development of the Offshore Legal Process Outsourcing industry. US and UK Law firms have been exploring and developing relationships with offshore legal service providers now for the last 12-24 months and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Offshore legal process companies such as LawScribe have moved beyond traditional back office legal support services to increasingly more complex core legal work including legal research, patent and trademark searching and drafting, document drafting and due diligence.

It’s also no secret that over the last 12 months a number of the top 100 firms have sent high power delegations to India. In turn the UK Law Society recently invited a 20-strong delegation from the All India Bar Association (AIBA) to the UK in the hope that this may help speed up the process of liberalizing entry into the Indian legal market. Some UK Government sources predict a partial opening of the Indian legal services market within a couple of years. As Indian domestic regulations currently stand, Indian firms are prohibited from advertising or from having more than 20 partners. The 1961 Advocates Act, which forbids foreigners from practicing in India, will also have to be amended.

Until these changes are implemented even the largest firms will continue to explore relationships within the growing legal process outsourcing market. So long as associates’ salaries continue to rise and clients increasingly become more demanding and price sensitive, the offshore legal process outsourcing industry will continue to flourish.

BY: Mark Ross
UK Attorney
LawScribe Director
Los Angeles, California, US

]]> http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/26/salary-hikes-ensure-legal-process-outsourcing-flou/feed/ 0 http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/25/an-ebike-is-an-ideal-of-fuel-efficient-device/ http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/25/an-ebike-is-an-ideal-of-fuel-efficient-device/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:09:40 +0000 tinabaa http://familien.dk/tinabaa/2010/02/25/an-ebike-is-an-ideal-of-fuel-efficient-device/ In those trying economical times,are you seeking something that will alleviate spending so much at pumps? It may be a perfect reason to check out those alternative modes of transportation, including a Razor scooter. It is definitely not one of those kick bikes that you made out of roller skate wheels and wood when you were a kid.

Fuel efficiency is one of your biggest concerns when looking for alternate modes of transportation and powered scooters are a great choice. There are many different models ,make sure that you find one is right for you.

Make sure you check out all of the scooter products,Denver sexual assault attorneys, including the Razor electric and gas scooters. Perhaps one reason why Razors are so popular is they attain high speed and have a unique break system which all the driver stop on the rear fender. The shock absorbing system on the
folding electric bike ensures that you will have a far more comfortable ride.

When deciding which would be the best scooter for you and your family, consider that each Razor scooter has a unique set of features available so that you will be able to compare the different models and find one perfect for everyone in the family. If you have a 3 to 5 year old child,A conversion kit leading electric bike is Crystaly, then consider the Jr. Kiddie Kick, as it is made of durable materials so it supports a maximum weight of 45 pounds.

There are 2 major scooters that are suitable for anyone 6 and older that can handle from 175 to 220 pounds. They are the ezycommuter that have skill levels of intermediate and advanced. Those electric bikes work exceptionally well with performing stunts and they are also capable of traveling longer distances.

You don’t need have insurance, license plates or be registered in order to operate a
electric bike; however, there are some laws that most states have in common. For instance, you must wear a bike helmet and you are not allowed to operate on a public road with a speed limit of 25 mph or more unless it is in a bike lane.

The bike need have red reflectors which are visible from 500 fet and a headlight which is visible from 300 feet. The bike can’t operate in excess of 15 mph, yet keep in mind that most states also have their own individual laws concerning electric bikes so you need to check with your state and make sure you understand all that is required.

So the electric bikes might be “carrying” the equivalent of 1.3 gallons of gas,Denver sexual assault attorneys, but they’ve actually consumed the equivalent of 5 gallons to get around the Isle of Man.I could go around the Isle five times wide open on a 250cc supermoto on that much gas! It will take 20 years to develop batteries with enough energy density to make a practical electric motorcycle or a folding electric bike.

If we must participate in this green charade, let’s use electricity to generate hydrogen and have some explosively fast bikes!

Electric bikes and cars are a joke.Consist only of fear and confusion about the global warming , a non-t there is a problem if. Fear of carbon?Get real.A basic understanding of meteorology and climate will show that man has no significant impact on the climate – the time to read it – you’ll love. Carbon is not evil, our food supply grows with it. Global warming is not evil,it just makes North Dakota more comfortable in the winter.I’m just a person who has researched the carbon hype and found it to be mostly a pack of lies,I don’t work for an oil company.

The same applies to this generation of folding bikes. With a few quick steps, an easy to ride bike turns into an easy to carry parcel. You take it onto the train or into a store or restaurant. Your parcel becomes a bike again when you’re done and ready to go. When you get home or to the office, the folding bike is easy to store. Simply put, a good folding electric bike will be easy to fold and will integrate into your life seemlessly, offering you more freedom and saving you on time and money, boosting your health and helping to conserve your environment at the same time. Ezycommuter folding bikes fold and unfold in ten seconds, lightweight, compact form when foldedand maintaining a well-protected. ‘Easy to fold’ takes on a new definition with the Brompton. The ezycommuter folding bikes fit into the ‘easy to fold’ category as well, requiring only a few quick steps. These bikes do for personal transportation, what the cell phone did for personal communication.

All in all, when it comes to alternative transportation, whether it be an electric bicycle or a folding bicycle, the needs of the user are in the forefront. Easy bikes are key.

The model 4840 delivers a monstrous 2.6 HP. (Now remember this a bicycle, not a Ford Mustang!). The Phoenix Brute’s motor is wound to churn out an outrageous amount of low end torque. As such, it can be used to pull a trailer or support a big strapping guy (or two small girls…..just kidding). The point is, of course, that it can handle the load!

Like all electric bicycles you can run on pure electric power, or pedal power, or both!

In addition, there are no chains,Denver sexual assault attorneys, belts, gears, pulleys, or sprockets. The electric motor is connected directly to wheel hub. It takes about 3-5 hours to charge the battery.
The order for the Phoenix Brute is quite decent. Using the 3640 controller, you can go 11 miles on battery power alone. The controller 4840 will increase its coverage area and 12 miles. If you pedal some of the time, the range will increase substantially.

The kit also includes a smart charger Crystalyte indicator, battery indicator and power tune.

Electric or
folding electric bikes are environmentally friendly, fun to ride, quiet, cost pennies a day to charge and are a fantastic way to bypass the price at the pump! Moreover, no license or insurance required. You can ride them ride them anywhere you can ride a pedal bike. The electric motorcycle registration, you can work no license or registration in most states. The Phoenix electric bike kits does exceed federal power and speed limits for electric bicycles, so they may be an exception to the rule. Be sure to check with your local Police Department and/or DMV before purchase.

So,中国五金协会：简单定义“铝代铜”说法不准确, if you are serious about an
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Choosing the right hosing service is very important because your website is like your store front. If your website goes offline for some reason, that means there is no chance for you to make a sale. So you realize how critical this function is.

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With that out of the way, let’s move on to the next concern – scalability. Your web hosting company should offer a variety of plans that you can upgrade to when you decide to scale your Internet business. For example, you may want to start off with a baby plan that allows hosting for only 1 website. As you grow your business, you may then upgrade to a 5 websites package, or maybe even a VPS solution or a dedicated server. In other words, choosing the right web hosting company takes care of scalability issues for your Internet business.