Valuing Legal Services. At issue in most fee arrangements not based solely on time spent is how to quantify the value of the legal services provided. Certainly, repetitive, routine matters lend themselves to alternative billing arrangements. Where both in-house and outside counsel have a fairly good base of knowledge on which to make a prediction, alternative billing arrangements make good business sense. Impact of Technology.
Technological capability is important in developing alternative fee billing systems.
Requisite data can be easily tracked and analyzed and utilized in initial negotiations with a client. Technology also can play an important role in the effective and efficient implementation of alternative approaches. Dianne K. Dailey, Stephen F. English, and Linda M. Bolduan are with the law firm of Bullivant House Bailey, A Professional Corporation, in Portland, Oregon. Ms. Dailey is immediate past chair of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section.