Hey in-house lawyers, watch your law firms. Oh, and by the way, while you are out, don’t forget to finish all of the stuff you have waiting for you back at the office. In all seriousness, how can you evaluate your law firms if you don’t see what they’re doing first-hand?
“In-house counsel and company executives who can make decisions need to attend hearings to see what they’re getting for their legal fees, patent judges said….the best way to find out is to show up for court hearings. “I am amazed that you all don’t show up with more regularity, particularly when you’re looking at a summary judgment motion or have a Markman” hearing on claims construction “or some other significant proceeding where you have spent in all likelihood six figures in legal fees and costs to get that thing ready for me to decide,” Judge James Donato, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, said….“You would not ever go and buy a meal at a high-end restaurant and not consume it and wait for someone else to tell you the food was delicious,” Donato said.”
Read: In-House Lawyers Should Watch Their Law Firms in Court, Judges Say at Bloomberg BNA Business of Law