Layoff Tracker: "As of July 5, 2009, over 12,829 people have been laid off by major law firms (4,985 lawyers / 7,844 staff) since January 1, 2008."
Seems like a perfect time to start a new law firm.
Dion Persson is seizing the opportunity with gusto. Dion and I worked together at Skadden in Delaware, and for the past 15 years, he has been working in house and as Senior Vice President at Johns Manville. Now he is trying to build a national law firm that would provide services only to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
So far, Simplicity Law has two lawyers, with a few others on call. Dion tells me that this is an attempt to "build the law firm of the future," which is exactly what you would expect him to say. But could it be more than just a marketing pitch?
Dion is imagining a "new model" of law firm, one that relies on technology to provide super-fast service at fixed costs for many of the more-or-less routine transactions that arise in the small business context. Among the many things I like about the idea is the possibility that Simplicity Law will be more amenable to lawyers who are stay-at-home moms or otherwise have a hard time making it in the traditional law firm model. I am rooting for Simplicity Law.
But what do you think? Have you seen anything like this before? Is Dion onto something?
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1. Posted by Ken Langhorn on July 12, 2009 @ 2:09 | Permalink
Simplicity Law sounds really very interesting. I like the idea of using technologie to speed up processes, but also allow more flexibility to lawyers who can not or don't want to work in traditional law offices.
A concept worth to try and to observe.
Hope Simlicity Law will grow and attract lots of good lawyers, because it can be more than just a marketing pitch.
2. Posted by Will Lewis on July 12, 2009 @ 11:44 | Permalink
Several thoughts: 1) Looks like an ethical nightmare. With two plus "a few others on call" how are they licensed in enough jurisdictions to give legal advice anywhere? 2) If they're ever sued for malpractice they're going to have a hell of a time defending themselves with a website like that. 3) I'm going to recommend them to the small business owners (CA contractors) I know. 4) $100 for basic legal advice is an impressive hourly rate, but I don't know where else you'd find flat prices like that. 5) There is something to say, even for an SME owner, about the "romance" of walking into a law office, even a small one, and being treated like your legal issue is the most important thing on earth and anything but routine. And it feels good on the firm side, too.
3. Posted by ohwilleke on July 14, 2009 @ 19:30 | Permalink
A viable law firm needs clients. You either need a smaller number of big (in terms of billings per client) clients, or a large number of small (in terms of bilings per client) clients.
Examples of the small client model are most public defenders offices, most consumer bankruptcy firms, and T&E practices focusing on simple wills. Both of the later two work best if they are heavily form driven and paralegal staffed. Real estate closing/title work can often fit that model as well.
The Hyatt firm (or was it a franchise) attempted the small client, form driven model without a great deal market transforming of success, back in the 1980s.
In theory you could do a small business formation practice that way, but the real money in small business formation (and simple will practice) is in the life long patronage you receive for legal issues that come up for that business that you get because you are "their lawyer."
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