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Summary: Big Law is looking for other ways to serve clients with this desire popping up in the form of business advisory divisions.
Bryan Cave is the latest law firm to form a separate division within their firm to tackle business management decisions. The St. Louis-based law firm’s 32-person division, called BCXponent, is completely separate from the law firm with its own website.
The division is made up of lawyers and non-lawyers such as computer science experts and software programmers. Their goal is to help clients achieve business goals, even if that is to reduce legal costs. Chief Innovation Officer at Bryan Cave Kathryn DeBord explained, “The firm wants to deliver the best client service that we can, and truthfully, you have to think of new ways to deliver services or you’re going to quickly become obsolete.”
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Forty-two-year-old DeBord is co-leading the new division. She is a graduate of George Washington University Law School and a former associate for Kirkland & Ellis.
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Bryan Cave has made innovation one of their three top priorities in their strategic plan with expertise and relationships being the other two priorities. The firm has made big strides towards innovation in other aspects of the firm.
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On the division’s main page you will read, “By solving X factor issues, we help our clients turn X into Excellence.” The business advisory unit is another example of how law firms, especially Big Law, are turning to alternative options to remain competitive. Many have turned to technology advancements but Bryan Cave has molded technology with project management and consulting.
Other firms that have formed similar divisions include Seyfarth Shaw, which formed SeyfarthLean Consulting. Their business advisory service maps litigation matters to make the legal process more efficient for clients.
Do you think we will see even more Big Law firms form their own version of this type of division? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about innovation in law firms, read Ravel Law Offers New Way to Do Legal Research.
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