In-House Counsel Denounce Rising Biglaw Bills As ‘Out Of Kilter With Reality’

// It’s making clients look elsewhere for lawyers. They’re not going to the usual suspects anymore and want to speak to three or four firms before making their decision. They’re not just trusting the big names.

— Somaya Ouazzani, CEO of legal partner search firm Mimoza Fleur, commenting on outside counsel’s steep rate increases and how general counsel in the UK are trying to work their way around them. Ouazzani says in-house lawyers are no longer willing to “swallow fees,” even for Biglaw firms with which they’ve had longstanding relationships. In-house counsel have described the fee hikes as “astronomical,” “out of kilter with reality,” and “unfair.” These legal fees have been criticized in courts as of late, with eye-popping hourly rates and bills being referred to as “excessive.”

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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Legal Fees, Money, On Course, On Course Business, Quote of the Day