Slowly but Surely, the Alternative Fees Movement is Making Inroads

April 6, 2009
by Zach Lowe, The AMLaw Daily

The National Law Journal, an Am Law Daily sibling publication, got some general counsel to open up a bit about how they are saving money on outside legal counsel during the recession, and it appears that, yes, alternative fee arrangements and discounts are popping up more and more.

Some highlights from the story:

... • Taser International Inc., makers of the stun gun popular with police, has taken a hard line on the firms it turns to for litigation related to the use of Tasers. Starting last year, it instituted a maximum fee for various phases of litigation, and it has developed its own standard legal documents so firms don't have to produce them. Some firms have resisted the shift away from hourly billing, according to Taser's GC, Doug Klint. Taser's response to those firms: "We micromanage them."