Canadian Lawyer InHouse

9 CANADIANLAWYERMAG.COM/INHOUSE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 one size fits all but through collaboration around identifying the problem and solu- tion and creating a value-based approach to a fee structure. It could run the gamut of a fixed fee, success fee or subscription fee; with the technology it could be a variation around licensing fees." Dentons will also leverage the knowledge of more than 50 former general counsel it has working in its offices around the world, including David Allgood, former GC at RBC, who joined Dentons as senior counsel in 2015 and is part of the team working on Nextlaw Solutions. "He's a good example of a seasoned gen - eral counsel who brings a wealth of experi- ence on what has worked and what has not worked in terms of managing external coun- sel relationships," said Pinnington. Allgood says the service is a "maturation" of what he was originally doing after he re- tired. "I came, in essence, to be the voice of the client at Dentons, particularly at Den- tons Canada with a bit of a broader focus and I was doing some of the things that will be part of Nextlaw In-House Solutions, but there are elements that will be broader than the role I was playing," he says. Dentons will provide the services to all cli - ents from global multi-nationals to startups that may not have an internal legal function. Dentons Global CEO Elliott Portnoy acknowledged that many of Dentons' com- petitors have former general counsel in their law firms, but he insists what's distinct about Nextlaw In-House Solutions is that the firm is trying to "nurture and restore" the rela- tionship between in-house counsel and the law firm at a time when it's become "increas- ingly complicated, adversarial and frayed." Portnoy says it's not an effort to try and capture or compete for work that clients are bringing in-house or that they are using consulting firms or legal process outsourc - ers or others to do it. "This is something very different — it's more about the relationship we have with in-house counsel who tell us their greatest stresses aren't quality of legal counsel firms provide, it's their own internal challenges of developing procurement programs, the pressure they're getting to look at pricing with more data analytics and legal process management," he says. Dentons global chairman Joe Andrew says providing high-quality legal work has become table stakes in serving clients; now firms need to look more broadly. "In-house counsel have their own clients, the business leaders, boards and CEOs of their firm — they themselves are facing all sorts of chal - lenges, not just in how to manage law firms but in managing their clients and identify- ing issues around the globe as companies become more sophisticated and go into new markets as well," he says. "The goal of this consultancy is to take that combination of people who have been in the same position of in-house counsel and combine the ex - perience with those who have expertise in areas contemporary in-house counsel have to deal with." IH A roundup of legal department news and trends RANKED We never call it a day. Workplace issues never sleep. That's why our 24 hour line is answered by a Sherrard Kuzz lawyer every hour of every day, even on holidays. Whatever the issue. Whatever the time. Our 24 hour line means our clients sleep well at night even if we sometimes don't. If you're an employer, we're the only call you need to make. 24 HOUR 416.420.0738 sherrardkuzz.com | 416.603.0700 | 24 Hour 416.420.0738 250 Yonge St #3300, Toronto, ON M5B 2L7 | @sherrardkuzz ntitled-4 1 2017-12-13 10:00 AM

• Cover