Canadian Lawyer

WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF PRACTICE YOU CONTRACT OUT THE MOST? 24.5% LITIGATION TAX EMPLOYMENT/LABOUR 49.2% REGULATORY MATTERS 31.3% 29.2% REAL ESTATE OTHER 18.5% CLASS ACTION15.5% U.S.-CROSS BORDER9.9% ENVIRONMENTAL9% ADVERTISING/MARKETING 3.4% WHAT TYPE OF BILLING ARRANGEMENT DO YOU HAVE WITH YOUR PRIMARY LAW FIRM? 6.7%ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS 74.2% INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 29.2% 24.5% more in legal spending in the last fiscal year, 21 per cent spent between $1 million and $3 million, 24 per cent spent between $101,000 and $500,000, and 17.8 per cent spent less than $100,000 in legal costs. Half of the respondents (6.2 per cent), and non-profit (5.9 per cent). Litigation was the No. 1 area of practice corporate counsel outsource at 74.2 per cent but that' were from small legal depart- ments with fewer than five lawyers. Responses came from a variety of sectors: 24.6 per cent from government, 15.4 per cent from industry and manufacturing, 14.2 per cent from financial services, 13.6 per cent from technol- ogy, and the balance falling in under services (10.4 per cent), resources (9.8 per cent), professional services from 80.2 per cent last year. Employment and labour law was the second highest at 42.9 per cent. Regulatory matters came in third with 31.3 per cent, down slightly from last year which was 36.8 per cent. The size of in-house s down departments appears to be staying static, with 49.1 per cent of respondents indicat- ing there was no change in the size of their team over the past year, and if the department did grow, 30.8 per cent said it was because SURVEY SAYS… WHAT TYPE OF BILLING ARRANGEMENT DO YOU HAVE WITH YOUR PRIMARY LAW FIRM? COMMENTS FROM SURVEY PARTICIPANTS COMBINATION OF BILLABLE HOURS PLUS FLAT FEES • Combination of billable hours at reduced rates, limitation in partner's time in any given matter, and better use of paralegals. No student, articling, or less than two-year associate can clock hours unless pre-approved. 35.7% 2.2% FLAT FEES • Billable hours but with loyalty discount. 55.4% experience OSGOODE BILLABLE HOURS • Billable hours with percentage reductions when billings reach pre-agreed thresholds. • Rate discounts and caps on annual billable hour increases. • Cap on hourly fee. • Billable hours and matter estimates in writing. • Billable hours with a discount. Graduates who are confident. Committed. Ready. This is the Osgoode Experience. www.osgoode.yorku.ca/experience 36 N O VEMBER / D ECEMBER 2012 www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com Osgoode_CL_Nov_12.indd 1 12-10-16 3:16 PM

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