Page 57 - Lawyers and Accountants - The Future of the Professions
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Lawyers and Accountants 2019 -
cost structure possible,139 as even less space and support are required, and a different type of marketing is
deployed."140
The Big 5 are already deploying the Internet to take advantage of its efficiencies. For example, they are in the
process of physically restructuring their offices. In some cases, this means standard-size offices for everyone
while in other cases the complete elimination of offices even for the partners. Should a partner require a
space, it must be booked in advance.
With technology, virtual private networks can be created by anyone. These secure communication links
permit direct access from home or on the road to all information. When professionals work at home, they
require less staff support. New technology also means that operations can be efficiently managed by making
internal documentation easily available without the need for printing and distribution. Contacts with home
office departments are possible from anywhere so that separate regional administrative centers are no
longer necessary.
MDOs can create the same reduction of overheads even though the member organizations are independent.
The Internet can be used to bring the sum total of all the resources of the individual parts of the MDO to each
individual professional. For example, office space can be scheduled in remote locations through the
network.141 Assistance can be provided when professionals travel through a free-advice policy.
Marketing is one area where legal networks have not taken full advantage of their power. Using a database
can make marketing very low cost since it creates the opportunity to share information with clients and non-
clients based upon self-defined interests. Much of the marketing of the future will be matching interests of
clients to those areas in which the firms have expertise. Demand for new services is created by demand for
old services.
A major concern of lawyers is that they do not have the same daily contact with clients as the Big 5142
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.143 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
139 At present there are few articles on MDPs and the Internet. There are a number of articles that look at the impact of the Internet on the practice
of law in general. Kraft, The Increasing Use of the Internet in the Practice of Law, 69 J. Karr. B. Assoc. 15 (9) (Feb. 2000); Pruner, The Internet and the
Practice of Law, 19 Pace L. Rev. 69-93 (Fall 1998); Dog The Competitive Law Firm of the 21" Century: Web Technology 62 Tex. B.J. 676 (3) (July 1999);
The Internet “Full and Unfettered Access” to Law and Some Implications, Martin 26 N. Ky. L. Rev. 181-209 (Summer 1999); Hellwege, Will B-law
Change the Practice of Law, 36 Trial 12 (June 2000), Munneke, When E-lawyering and Legal Ethics Collide, Nat’I L.J C25. (August 28, 2000); Schmitt,
Lawyers vs. The Internet, WSJ, R34 (July 17, 2000); Davis, Meyer, Davis, Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy (Little Brown & Company
1999); Kelly, New Rules for the New Economy (Penguin Books 1999).
140 One example is LawCommerce.com (http://www.lawcommerce.com), which has created a superstore for purchasing products used by lawyers
and law firms. There are substantial discounts on these products that can be purchased at the site.
141 For example, Lex Mundi (http //www.lexmundi.org) has a free-office-space policy that permits any of the 15,000 member-lawyers the opportunity
to arrange for space in the more than 400 offices worldwide.
142 “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.
143 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.
54
cost structure possible,139 as even less space and support are required, and a different type of marketing is
deployed."140
The Big 5 are already deploying the Internet to take advantage of its efficiencies. For example, they are in the
process of physically restructuring their offices. In some cases, this means standard-size offices for everyone
while in other cases the complete elimination of offices even for the partners. Should a partner require a
space, it must be booked in advance.
With technology, virtual private networks can be created by anyone. These secure communication links
permit direct access from home or on the road to all information. When professionals work at home, they
require less staff support. New technology also means that operations can be efficiently managed by making
internal documentation easily available without the need for printing and distribution. Contacts with home
office departments are possible from anywhere so that separate regional administrative centers are no
longer necessary.
MDOs can create the same reduction of overheads even though the member organizations are independent.
The Internet can be used to bring the sum total of all the resources of the individual parts of the MDO to each
individual professional. For example, office space can be scheduled in remote locations through the
network.141 Assistance can be provided when professionals travel through a free-advice policy.
Marketing is one area where legal networks have not taken full advantage of their power. Using a database
can make marketing very low cost since it creates the opportunity to share information with clients and non-
clients based upon self-defined interests. Much of the marketing of the future will be matching interests of
clients to those areas in which the firms have expertise. Demand for new services is created by demand for
old services.
A major concern of lawyers is that they do not have the same daily contact with clients as the Big 5142
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.143 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
139 At present there are few articles on MDPs and the Internet. There are a number of articles that look at the impact of the Internet on the practice
of law in general. Kraft, The Increasing Use of the Internet in the Practice of Law, 69 J. Karr. B. Assoc. 15 (9) (Feb. 2000); Pruner, The Internet and the
Practice of Law, 19 Pace L. Rev. 69-93 (Fall 1998); Dog The Competitive Law Firm of the 21" Century: Web Technology 62 Tex. B.J. 676 (3) (July 1999);
The Internet “Full and Unfettered Access” to Law and Some Implications, Martin 26 N. Ky. L. Rev. 181-209 (Summer 1999); Hellwege, Will B-law
Change the Practice of Law, 36 Trial 12 (June 2000), Munneke, When E-lawyering and Legal Ethics Collide, Nat’I L.J C25. (August 28, 2000); Schmitt,
Lawyers vs. The Internet, WSJ, R34 (July 17, 2000); Davis, Meyer, Davis, Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy (Little Brown & Company
1999); Kelly, New Rules for the New Economy (Penguin Books 1999).
140 One example is LawCommerce.com (http://www.lawcommerce.com), which has created a superstore for purchasing products used by lawyers
and law firms. There are substantial discounts on these products that can be purchased at the site.
141 For example, Lex Mundi (http //www.lexmundi.org) has a free-office-space policy that permits any of the 15,000 member-lawyers the opportunity
to arrange for space in the more than 400 offices worldwide.
142 “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.
143 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.
54
