Law Practice Management
No Associates at This Law Firm, Just Consultants
Posted Mar 10, 2008, 09:14 am CST
By Martha Neil
A Canadian law firm says it has never has a problem with associates over billable hours requirements. That's because it has no associates.
Instead, Thackray Burgess has "consultants" who hire desk space from the 34-attorney business firm at a cost of $800 per month, and do as much or as little work as they want to, reports the Financial Post. The firm also takes a negotiated percentage of their billings.
The consultant attorneys set their own hours and can also work from home, if they wish. The Calgary-based firm pays them at a rate schedule that is based on when they graduated from law school.
Shareholder Michael Thackray says the firm's model is a recruiting plus among both young lawyers seeking work-life balance and those who are "more entrepreneurial in spirit." They can either focus their practice entirely on servicing work generated by the firm, or go out and find clients of their own, he notes.
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