Reducing Legal Costs

About

Corporate legal departments are under the gun to reduce costs, and the pressure on them to do so will only mount as the economy struggles. In response, corporate counsel have begun implementing innovative arrangements to reduce costs, such as alternative fee structures, sharp reductions in the number of outside counsel used, and an increased reliance on technological innovations. However, many in-house counsel remain unsure of which alternatives to pursue and how to implement those alternatives effectively.

American Conference Institute’s 2nd Annual Corporate Counsel Forum on Reducing Legal Costs has been tailored to provide in-house counsel with the knowledge they need to successfully employ cost-reducing procedures both internally and externally. We have gathered together senior corporate counsel responsible for cost-reduction success stories from AOL, Association of Corporate Counsel, Bayer, Boston Scientific, Cargill, CompuCredit, C.R. Bard, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, Eli Lilly, Exxon Mobil, Fair Isaac, General Motors, ImClone Systems, JPMorgan Chase, Lyondell, Marsh & McLennan, Northrop Grumman, Pfizer, and WellPoint to guide you through the complexities of:

• Determining which alternative fee arrangements to pursue and getting “buy-in” both internally and externally
• Reducing the number of outside counsel that you use without losing the expertise and knowledge that they provide
• Improving your budgeting process and obtaining more accurate forecasts of costs
• Integrating technological innovations into your legal department that will save time and money
• Streamlining your e-discovery procedures to increase effi ciency and reduce cost

Contents & Contributors

What Has and Hasn't Worked with Alternative Fee Arrangements?: Implementing Innovative Fee Structures While Avoiding Customary Growing Pains
Teresa Cotton Santos, Associate General Counsel, Litigation, Eli Lilly and Company (Hong Kong)
Lindley Brenza, Partner, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP (Denver, CO)

Managing Outside Counsel: Proactive Measures In-House Counsel Should Take to Prevent the Unexpected, Including Out-of-Control Costs
Edward Lowenberg, Senior Counsel and Coordinator for Product Liability & Toxic Tort Litigation, Exxon Mobil Corporation (Houston, TX)
J.L. Novak, Assistant General Counsel, AOL LLC (Dulles, VA)
Dean T. Barnhard, Partner Barnes & Thornburg LLP (Indianapolis, IN)
R. Bruce Whitney, Litigation Counsel, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (Allentown, PA)
Andrew E. Shipley, Assistant General Counsel, Northrup Grumman Corporation (McLean, VA)
Moderator:
Lori G. Cohen, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Atlanta, GA)

Improving the Accuracy, Certainty, and Efficacy of the In-House Legal Department Budgeting Process to Reduce Internal Friction and Maximize the Allocation of Resources
Frederick H. Paulmann, Senior Corporate Counsel & Director of Outside Partnering, Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY)
Joseph F. Speelman, Associate General Counsel, Litigation, Security and Compliance, Lyondell Chemical Company (Houston, TX)

Legal Process Outsourcing: Where and How to Obtain Professional and Cost-Effective Services While Maintaining Confidentiality
Greg A. Dadika, Assistant General Counsel, Litigation

Managing E-Discovery: Innovative Approaches that Will Increase Efficiency and Reduce Costs While Maintaining Compliance
Renee L. Jackson, Vice President, Corporate Legal, Fair Isaac Corporation (Minneapolis, MN)
Jeffery A. Kruse, Senior Counsel, Boston Scientific Corporation (St. Paul, MN)

Building a 'Virtual Law Firm' to Help Your Company Effectively and Efficiently Manage Litigation
Atiba Adams, Assistant General Counsel, Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY)
Richard M. Barnes, Partner, Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP (Baltimore, MD)

Selecting the Most Cost-Effective Outside Counsel for Your Needs Without Compromising on Quality: How to Get it Right From the Start
Susan Hackett, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Association of Corporate Counsel (Washington, DC)
Linda M. Kearney, Managing Associate General Counsel , WellPoint, Inc. (Austin, TX)
David J. Maslia, Assistant General Counsel, CompuCredit Corporation (Atlanta, GA)

Maximizing In-House Capabilities and Staffing Efficiencies to Reduce Reliance on Outside Counsel
Scott T. Piering, Senior Attorney, Cargill Incorporated (Wayzatta, MN)
William D. Schultz, Merchant & Gould P.C. (Minneapolis, MN)
Marc Zamsky, Executive Vice President, Hudson Legal (Philadelphia, PA)

The Ethics of Alternative Fee Arrangements,Outsourcing and Other Cost Reduction Strategies
Lindley Brenza, Partner, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP (Denver, CO)

Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Legal Invoice Review and Cost Containment
Melody Hamel, Bayer Corporation (Pittsburgh, PA)