5 Surefire Ways to Lose a Client
(A Law360 except by Keith Goldberg)
Law360, New York (March 27, 2013, 8:19 PM ET) — While losing a high-stakes case might sour a lawyer’s relationship with a client, plenty of other missteps can prove far more deadly, attorneys tell Law360.
Clients are likely to seek new counsel if they feel their current counsel doesn’t respect their relationship, whether it’s through overstuffing a legal bill, falling off the radar for days at a time or not doing homework on client business…
Attorneys say budgeting smart is a must. For example, if you’re the lead partner on a matter, you’d better be in on every high-level strategic decision, but leave mundane tasks such as discovery to associates or contract attorneys. Don’t send multiple attorneys to a deposition if only one is going to be doing all the talking…
And if you are going to blow your budget, don’t wait to let your clients know until sending them their final invoices, experts say.
“Generally speaking, your clients are more tolerant of overrunning a budget if they know ahead of time,” Michael Rynowecer, president of the BTI Consulting Group Inc., told Law360. “If you see it coming, that’s treated completely different than if it’s a surprise.” Continue reading at Law360.