BigLaw vs SmallLaw

BigLaw is charging $1,500 per hour for partners’ time.

I won’t raise my rates; I’m happy with them, I live decently with them, my cats live like the royalty they are with them, and I don’t need to raise them. Geez … $1,500.00 per hour … that’s absurd.

I invite any BigLaw clients who don’t want to pay those rates to reach out and try working with smaller, more cost-effective firms. Our work is every bit as good as that you get from BigLaw firms, our lawyers graduated from top-tier law schools (my law school was #3 in the nation in IP the year I graduated), we handle your matters personally and promptly, and at least I would never even THINK of charging you $1,500 per hour.

We don’t have mahogany offices; our conference room may, in fact, be borrowed from another law firm or even from the public library. That cuts down on the overhead you pay for at $1,500 per hour with a BigLaw firm. We might not be located in midtown Manhattan, but that’s what phones and email are for, and Schenectady office space is WAY less expensive than is office space in midtown Manhattan. And we can often come see you at YOUR offices (yeah … you don’t have to come see us). Have laptop, will travel!

The one potential downside is that smaller law firms tend to concentrate in one or two areas rather than working in every aspect of the law; that’s simply because we have a smaller stable of attorneys in the firm. However, when needed, we can quickly and efficiently put together a dream team to handle any particular matter (I often work with other lawyers and their clients who need IP counsel or business law counsel or even just transactional counsel). We know how to quickly and effectively put together a team of attorneys whose skills are targeted to your needs — and we’re not bound by the borders of our own firm for that.

Think about it.