Executive Partner Steve Kestner was quoted in the March 4, 2010, Cleveland Plain Dealer article, "The 'Billable Hour' Slips Out of Favor as Lawyers Respond to Downturn."
According to the article, while law firms have traditionally billed by the hour, with attorneys charging hourly fees based on their seniority, experience and practice area, the tough economy has clients pushing firms to rethink their business model and to sell their services for flat fees and other nonhourly methods of billing. Benefits of alternative billing include predictability that allows companies to forecast their legal expenses; more risk-sharing between lawyers and clients; and an increased focus on successful results as opposed to piling up hours, according to the article.
"There's no question that it's [alternative billing requests] increasing. Clients are looking for any way they can to control costs and also to make sure they're getting as much value as possible," said Kestner.