Page 12 - MDPs - Chapter 14 - Multidisciplinayr Practice and Partnershps
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A major concern of lawyers is that they do not have the same daily contact with clients as the Big 521
members know how to use information, cost efficient opportunities are easily created for the
professionals and entities to market directly to clients. Information can be shared to cross-sell services or
create bundled services.
The MDO reduces costs for services while it increases the return to the professional providing the service.
The costs are reduced by the elimination of distribution inefficiencies.22 Professionals deal directly with
each other in real time and with their clients. The resources available for each unit are the total resources
in the virtual network as a whole rather than the limited resources at the individual member firms. Those
resources can efficiently be deployed where and when they are needed.
§ 14.03 MDOs v. Big 5 - Client Relationships and Choices
The heart of the MDP debate is creating relationships with clients so that they are attracted to the one-
stop shop. Clients want the opportunity to choose. The Big 5 and the MDO members have similar but
different perspectives on these objectives.
The Big 5 are seeking to maintain and consolidate their global lead in the professional services market by
creating relationships with existing and potential clients.23 Increasingly technology is being used. While
bar and other professional associations have made good use of technology to channel communications to
and from the organization, few associations use it to foster relationships among members themselves.
Peer-to-peer networking is still an untapped opportunity for almost all professionals outside of the Big 5.
At present most of the networking is done at meetings rather than on-line.
In the same way the Big 5 create teams internally and develop relationships,24 independent professionals
and organizations could create competitive, if not better, alternatives for multidisciplinary services. A
group of independent firms can likewise increase the level of internal contact among professionals in
different fields. For example, environmental lawyers would have the opportunity to network with
environmental consultants, engineers and others who have common interests. When information is
collected, it can also be shared with clients of all of the members.25 In short, building these relationships
makes it possible for the MDO to take multidisciplinary practice to its logical conclusion. It permits
professional service providers the opportunity to focus on one or several core competencies but at the
same time have access to all services.
This model contrasts significantly with the existing Big 5 strategy to bring all services in-house. Even while
some of the Big 5 are reorganizing to create separate entities for accounting/auditing and their consulting
practices, their model remains the management of large numbers of professionals operating under a
21 “There is perceived, for example, to be an unusually close relationship between managers and consultants and senior executives whom they
advise. Attorneys may, and I think do, fear that accounting/consulting firms can leverage, perhaps: ‘unfairly’ these relationships to sell the services
of the laws firms owned by them.” Written comments, William Hannay, March 11, 1999, American Bar Commission on Multidisciplinary Practices.
22 Solomon, Matter Management Software Now Available Online, Nat’1 L.J. CS (Jan. 24, 2000), discusses combining Elite for time keeping,
iManage for documents and SQL into a single interface so that an attorney can have access to all client shatters from a browser.
23 The Big 5 have unlimited access to technical resources as a result of their consulting practices and also their venture capital investments. When
Dupont wanted a system designed to manage outside counsel, they turned to Arthur Andersen. AA now can use a similar system to manage its
relationships with clients. like Law and Disorder, Redherring (Apr. 1999) at http://www.redhearring.com/may/issue65/news- law.html.
24 Arthur Andersen permits its clients to access its database of papers and monographs. See http:/fwww.globalbestpractices.com/.
25 For example, law firms and other service providers are purchasing product that facilitate interaction between professionals and clients through
the sharing of real time information. One product can be found at http://www.niku.corn/legal/index.html.
7
members know how to use information, cost efficient opportunities are easily created for the
professionals and entities to market directly to clients. Information can be shared to cross-sell services or
create bundled services.
The MDO reduces costs for services while it increases the return to the professional providing the service.
The costs are reduced by the elimination of distribution inefficiencies.22 Professionals deal directly with
each other in real time and with their clients. The resources available for each unit are the total resources
in the virtual network as a whole rather than the limited resources at the individual member firms. Those
resources can efficiently be deployed where and when they are needed.
§ 14.03 MDOs v. Big 5 - Client Relationships and Choices
The heart of the MDP debate is creating relationships with clients so that they are attracted to the one-
stop shop. Clients want the opportunity to choose. The Big 5 and the MDO members have similar but
different perspectives on these objectives.
The Big 5 are seeking to maintain and consolidate their global lead in the professional services market by
creating relationships with existing and potential clients.23 Increasingly technology is being used. While
bar and other professional associations have made good use of technology to channel communications to
and from the organization, few associations use it to foster relationships among members themselves.
Peer-to-peer networking is still an untapped opportunity for almost all professionals outside of the Big 5.
At present most of the networking is done at meetings rather than on-line.
In the same way the Big 5 create teams internally and develop relationships,24 independent professionals
and organizations could create competitive, if not better, alternatives for multidisciplinary services. A
group of independent firms can likewise increase the level of internal contact among professionals in
different fields. For example, environmental lawyers would have the opportunity to network with
environmental consultants, engineers and others who have common interests. When information is
collected, it can also be shared with clients of all of the members.25 In short, building these relationships
makes it possible for the MDO to take multidisciplinary practice to its logical conclusion. It permits
professional service providers the opportunity to focus on one or several core competencies but at the
same time have access to all services.
This model contrasts significantly with the existing Big 5 strategy to bring all services in-house. Even while
some of the Big 5 are reorganizing to create separate entities for accounting/auditing and their consulting
practices, their model remains the management of large numbers of professionals operating under a
21 “There is perceived, for example, to be an unusually close relationship between managers and consultants and senior executives whom they
advise. Attorneys may, and I think do, fear that accounting/consulting firms can leverage, perhaps: ‘unfairly’ these relationships to sell the services
of the laws firms owned by them.” Written comments, William Hannay, March 11, 1999, American Bar Commission on Multidisciplinary Practices.
22 Solomon, Matter Management Software Now Available Online, Nat’1 L.J. CS (Jan. 24, 2000), discusses combining Elite for time keeping,
iManage for documents and SQL into a single interface so that an attorney can have access to all client shatters from a browser.
23 The Big 5 have unlimited access to technical resources as a result of their consulting practices and also their venture capital investments. When
Dupont wanted a system designed to manage outside counsel, they turned to Arthur Andersen. AA now can use a similar system to manage its
relationships with clients. like Law and Disorder, Redherring (Apr. 1999) at http://www.redhearring.com/may/issue65/news- law.html.
24 Arthur Andersen permits its clients to access its database of papers and monographs. See http:/fwww.globalbestpractices.com/.
25 For example, law firms and other service providers are purchasing product that facilitate interaction between professionals and clients through
the sharing of real time information. One product can be found at http://www.niku.corn/legal/index.html.
7
