Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Marketing2BusinessMarketing2Business
    • Definitions
    • Marketing
    • Business
    • SEO
    • Digital Agencies
    • Advertisement
    Marketing2BusinessMarketing2Business
    Home » Business » Measuring and Improving the Attorney-Client Relationship
    Business

    Measuring and Improving the Attorney-Client Relationship

    marketing2businessBy marketing2businessApril 26, 2022Updated:April 26, 2022No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
    Measuring and Improving the Attorney-Client Relationship
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Pinterest Email

    As the strength of US patents has waned over the past decade. More companies are seeking higher quality patents from their outside counsel. In taking a closer look at the inconsistencies in work product that often arise. From less-than-ideal in-house and outside counsel relationships, in-house counselors have started brainstorming ways to improve the foundation of this working and attorney client relationship.

    Measuring and Improving the Attorney-Client Relationship

    This examination emerged into a webinar conversation between Gene Quinn, CEO/President of IP Watchdog and Ben Brown. Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property at Analog Devices. Ben wanted to find creative solutions to improve his working relationship with outside counsel, and from a big picture, uncover what a good relationship between the two parties looks like. Gene and Ben both agree that there is a lot of room for improvement in how in house counsel interfaces with outside counsel.

    The webinar focused on uncovering the attributes that make up good outside counsel and how attorney relationships can improve. Both Gene and Benn agreed that chief among these attributes is good communication and that the biggest difficulty with the outside counsel/in house counsel relationship is not communicating with one another.

    What are the underlying complications in the in-house and outside counsel relationship?

    A 2012 American Bar Association survey of in-house counsel found that poor communication is the most cited reason. That outside counsel is replaced. Gene and Ben noted that surprises and errors, especially those that are high visibility, upset internal stakeholders and demonstrate poor management. Basically, when the relationship between in-house and outside counsel is strained, it makes in-house look bad while making his or her life hard.

    J.D Houvener, a San Francisco patent attorney, says that in an IP Law Firm, “In-house employees, patent agents, and inside attorneys function in a role that’s like an IP manager. They manage a team of outside patent attorneys that do the work of drafting claims, submitting applications, speaking with the inventors, etc. The in-house attorneys are more big picture and oversight while the outside counselors are more hands-on. Often, there is a disconnect in terms of expectations, and crucial information slips through the tracks.”

    Measuring and Improving the Attorney-Client Relationship_ Ideas for In-house and Outside Counsel

    What makes for effective outside counsel?

    The most critical quality of effective outside counsel is the ability to communicate information clearly and concisely. The best outside counsel will care about the in-house firm and its clients, and know what is expected of him or her. As the leader in writing claims and submitting provisional patent applications, ideal outside counsel will be creative and think outside the box to find new ways to solve problems and improve existing methodology. Basically, an effective outside counsel will look good while making your life easy.

    Houvener expands on this and says that in his ideal outside counsel. He seeks “someone that can do a lot of good work without a lot of supervision. The person should not need a lot of oversight, but be responsive and accountable. He or she knows your needs without having to ask and sees the bigger picture.”

    Most importantly, outside counsel often communicates directly with the client and is seen as the face of the relationship. The best outside counsel can give legal advice that the client can understand and in the process allowing the client to formulate their own questions to ask a patent attorney.

    Objective framework for evaluating outside counsel performance

    Specific performance metrics that should be used are:

      1. Speed: timeliness, ability to meet deadlines, response time, work product turnover.
      2. Spend: staying within budget, planning, and forecasting, understanding spend rate.
      3. Feedback: client surveys, having in-house counsel measuring product quality.
      4. Work product quality: use specific standards and guidelines to grade consistently.

    Best practices for outside counsel to improve their relationships with clients and grow their business.

    Both sides should communicate clearly, concisely and effectively with one another. Use short emails and get straight to the point on calls without coming across as terse. Avoid legalese and confusing terms this is especially important when outside counsel communicates with inventors and clients.

    Obtain feedback from one another and from clients to determine the most crucial areas of improvement. This can be done via an email survey for each client after a big project is completed.

    Lastly, in evaluating outside counsel performance, fuse the speed, spend, and quality performance metrics. To get a big picture view of what is working and what is not working.

    Listen to the full webinar here.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
    marketing2business

    Related Posts

    Different Ways That Manufacturing Businesses Can Market Themselves

    January 20, 2023

    What is content personalisation, and how can you leverage it in your overarching strategy?

    January 12, 2023

    What is the Distinction between an ISA and a Savings Account in Singapore?

    January 10, 2023

    Shipping To Amazon FBA Rapid Express Freight And More

    January 3, 2023

    What Time Does McDonald’s Stop Serving Breakfast – 2022

    December 27, 2022

    BBC Business Market Data – Everything You Want To Know About It

    December 26, 2022
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Recent Post

    Things To Consider When Planning to Get An MBA Degree

    Education

    Things To Consider When Planning to Get An MBA Degree – Whether you are looking…

    Factors to Consider When Getting a Personal Loan

    January 23, 2023

    Different Ways That Manufacturing Businesses Can Market Themselves

    January 20, 2023

    Seven Ways That Going Back To School Can Boost Your Business Career

    January 19, 2023

    5 Promo Gifts Perfect for Restaurant Marketing Campaigns

    January 18, 2023

    Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing Training On Sexual Harassment

    January 16, 2023
    Popular Post

    Search Engine Optimization Techniques Every Beginner Should Know

    April 2, 2020

    Should Small Businesses Pursue An Aggressive Digital Strategy In 2021?

    November 4, 2020

    Email Isn’t Dead, but You Have to Re-Think Your Approach

    April 23, 2022

    3 Things You Need to Know About Brand Reputation for a Successful Business

    April 25, 2022

    What is Management? – Instruments, Stages, and More

    April 28, 2022

    Ways You Can Improve Your Financial Life Via A Credit Repair Company

    March 13, 2020

    WhatsApp Will Cathcart Facebook Apple WhatsApp India Kantrowitz

    January 3, 2023

    Need of LEI Codes

    August 23, 2021

    10 Important Text Marketing Tips Which You Should Know

    September 9, 2022

    5 Best Productivity Apps for 2020

    August 2, 2021

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest post from Marketing 2 Business about definitions, marketing, business, seo, digital agencies and advertisement.

    About Us
    About Us

    Marketing2business provides brand management solutions. We are committed to bringing ideas, inspiration, strategy, and tools to help our customers grow their business and achieve success.

    Recent Post

    Things To Consider When Planning to Get An MBA Degree

    January 26, 2023

    Factors to Consider When Getting a Personal Loan

    January 23, 2023

    Different Ways That Manufacturing Businesses Can Market Themselves

    January 20, 2023
    Random Post

    Dealing with Criminal Lawsuits- How to Keep Your Business Safe

    November 30, 2020

    Blue Ocean Shift: Conquer the Market with these Powerful Strategies

    January 22, 2020

    Incredibles 2 123Movies ><> – Watch and Download Full Movie

    April 6, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • About Us
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisement
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2023 All Rights Reserved by Marketing 2 Business.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.