Law Firms' Access to Client Reviews

Outside counsel can now see what their in-house clients think of their job performance, according to the Association of Corporate Counsel's new law firm rating system.

The 'Value Index'

The ACC launched its “value index” in October as part of its Value Challenge, which aims to help in-house counsel better align the value and cost of legal services. Since then, in-house lawyers have submitted more than 1,800 evaluations of more than 600 law firms. Evaluations have come in from more than 30 countries.

Until very recently, only ACC members could view the evaluations, which led a few critics to cry foul. Now law firms that have been evaluated by in-house counsel can see their ratings online, too, the ACC announced. Firms can decide who gets to see their results, but they can't see each other's rankings, ACC general counsel Susan Hackett said.

“It's something we've been working on for a couple of months,” she said. “We always planned to find some way to share some of these results.”

Good News?

It's good news to legal consultancy Zeughauser Group chair Peter Zeughauser, a former ACC national chairman. He said law firms have expressed concern because the survey's evaluators are anonymous, and outside counsel couldn't see what they said. “This is a step in the right direction,” Zeughauser said. “Now the index has the potential to be a useful tool. But I still think it can be improved.”

In the survey, in-house counsel rate law firms on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) based on: understanding objectives/expectations, legal expertise, efficiency/process management, responsiveness/communication, predictable cost/budgeting skills, and results delivered/execution.

Criticisms

Zeughauser said the survey's evaluation categories are still too ambiguous and unclear. For example, in-house counsel rate matters based on a law firm's individual offices and practice areas in the survey. But the evaluation form overlooks the fact that firms staff matters with lawyers from several practice areas and offices.

“The ACC has gotten over the main hump,” he said. “Now the ACC should focus on improving the tool.”

Despite such criticism of the survey, attorneys from McKenna Long & Aldridge said they've seen their firm's results so far, and are pleased with their positive reviews.

“We will continue to monitor the value index for results from client reviews,” said firm chairman Jeffrey Haidet.

So far, the average overall ranking is fairly high at 4.3 out of a maximum rating of 5.0. That's not surprising to Hackett, although she predicted the average rating will drop as more evaluations come in.

“Evaluators aren't coming to trash people,” she said. “They are telling us who they like, and that's the whole point of all this.”

Amy Miller is a reporter for The Corporate Counsel, an ALM sister publication of this newsletter.

Outside counsel can now see what their in-house clients think of their job performance, according to the Association of Corporate Counsel's new law firm rating system.

The 'Value Index'

The ACC launched its “value index” in October as part of its Value Challenge, which aims to help in-house counsel better align the value and cost of legal services. Since then, in-house lawyers have submitted more than 1,800 evaluations of more than 600 law firms. Evaluations have come in from more than 30 countries.

Until very recently, only ACC members could view the evaluations, which led a few critics to cry foul. Now law firms that have been evaluated by in-house counsel can see their ratings online, too, the ACC announced. Firms can decide who gets to see their results, but they can't see each other's rankings, ACC general counsel Susan Hackett said.

“It's something we've been working on for a couple of months,” she said. “We always planned to find some way to share some of these results.”

Good News?

It's good news to legal consultancy Zeughauser Group chair Peter Zeughauser, a former ACC national chairman. He said law firms have expressed concern because the survey's evaluators are anonymous, and outside counsel couldn't see what they said. “This is a step in the right direction,” Zeughauser said. “Now the index has the potential to be a useful tool. But I still think it can be improved.”

In the survey, in-house counsel rate law firms on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) based on: understanding objectives/expectations, legal expertise, efficiency/process management, responsiveness/communication, predictable cost/budgeting skills, and results delivered/execution.

Criticisms

Zeughauser said the survey's evaluation categories are still too ambiguous and unclear. For example, in-house counsel rate matters based on a law firm's individual offices and practice areas in the survey. But the evaluation form overlooks the fact that firms staff matters with lawyers from several practice areas and offices.

“The ACC has gotten over the main hump,” he said. “Now the ACC should focus on improving the tool.”

Despite such criticism of the survey, attorneys from McKenna Long & Aldridge said they've seen their firm's results so far, and are pleased with their positive reviews.

“We will continue to monitor the value index for results from client reviews,” said firm chairman Jeffrey Haidet.

So far, the average overall ranking is fairly high at 4.3 out of a maximum rating of 5.0. That's not surprising to Hackett, although she predicted the average rating will drop as more evaluations come in.

“Evaluators aren't coming to trash people,” she said. “They are telling us who they like, and that's the whole point of all this.”

Amy Miller is a reporter for The Corporate Counsel, an ALM sister publication of this newsletter.