Page 22 - Los Angeles Vol 5 No 2

e Interim-Attorney Model Works for Law Firms, Too
BY BODIE MCNAUGHT
Since the economy has begun to re- bound, law rms and corporations alike have struggled with the experi- ence gap created by the massive lay-
o s of associates in the late 2000s. Law rms and corporations have had to resort to more creative measures to address their needs for expert legal talent on their teams or projects. Using an interim-attorney model has proved to be a positive alternative to full-time hiring when they nd themselves with too much work, a need for expertise and lack of man- power.
Loeb & Loeb, for example, was an early adopter of this model and continues to nd success in engaging talented attorneys on a consulting basis. ey began using this mod- el—much like other rms—because busi- ness began to pick back up and they found themselves in need of quick access to qual- ity associate-level talent that was not readily available.
“A few years ago, we were looking for cor- porate associates and found that the market was very tight in terms of available full-time help,” explained Lacie Marshall, director of professional development and legal recruiting for Loeb & Loeb. “I approached our depart- ment chair about using a short-term model to
ll the gap until we found the right long-term t. Because this model helped bridge the gap, we were able to build out that department to where it’s now thriving, and we did so in a non-stressful, thought-out way.”
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has also found the interim model bene cial, but not because of a lack of talent. ey rely on this model to meet clients’ specialized needs.
“Clients are demanding more focused ex- pertise at a more competitive rate on the day- to-day matters we handle as part of our overall representation of a client. A junior associate, while suitable as a second or third chair on a large matter, o en cannot service such day-to- day matters e ciently, so sta or contract law- yers are a great option to ll those needs,” said Andrew Klungness, partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.
e interim-attorney model provides law rms—and corporate legal departments— exibility in their hiring practices and access to talent that may not be available as a full- time employee. While rms historically like to have candidates with perfect resumes, there are not enough of those candidates actively in the market these days. With the interim attor- ney model, rms o en get a more experienced attorney who is willing to take on the work that needs to get done while also training ju- nior attorneys. Working with interim legal al- lows rms to maximize their pro tability as they can vary the attorneys’ hours and work- load to t budget and time constraints.
“We pay for the time spent in the o ce, so it’s on us to manage them e ciently and make sure they aren’t sitting around waiting or in the o ce on days we don’t need them,” ex- plains Marshall. “With traditional associates, they have a salary, so we do not have to think about that. Instead we’ve had to get partners conditioned to view them through a di erent lens.”
e common misconception about interim attorneys is that they are inexperienced, have built a resume in e-discovery or cannot nd a job. is is rarely the case. Interim attorneys are experienced practitioners who come from private practice, in-house legal departments
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