Firms that aren’t talking with their clients about ways they can improve service have another reason to wake up and smell the coffee.
Just a few weeks after a similar deal between Tyco and Eversheds, DLA Piper announced yesterday a major legal services agreement with Linde (a Germany-based gas and engineering company).
Under the arrangement, Linde goes from 150 law firms to 5. Here’s an explanation:
Under the radical, new model introduced by Linde, DLA Piper will advise on a range of matters across Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, which amounts to 80 per cent of legal spend. This single solution approach incorporates matters such as commercial and compliance work, IP, employment, litigation, property, data protection, regulatory, product liability and non-strategic acquisitions and disposals. DLA Piper will work closely with the 65-strong internal legal services team at Linde to deliver quality legal solutions and obtain more value from its outsourced work.
Four other firms made the cut:
The other law firms retained by Linde are Linklaters, which will advise on all corporate issues outside the US; the German law firm Hengeler Muller, which has retained an advisory role on company law issues; Simpson Thacher, which has been retained to advise Linde on strategic corporate work in the US and Shearman & Sterling which will handle the Group’s antitrust matters.
So for lawyers at the other 145 firms left at the altar, go ahead, have another cup, call the office and say you’re running late.
