When in-house teams find themselves facing an influx of work, they often turn to a law firm to hire a secondee. A secondee is a law firm associate (typically 3rd–5th year) who works directly within the client's organization for a designated period. Although secondees are meant to function like a full-time attorney and provide relief for the in-house team, many clients find they provide only limited utility and require so much training that the costs outweigh the benefits.
An alternative option? Bringing in an interim, consulting attorney who will function much like a secondee but also offer many additional benefits. Let’s explore.
Experience
Associates in their 3rd–5th year work under the close supervision of partners and senior associates and only handle a small piece of a matter. Thus, secondees can only handle limited assignments and require a significant amount of training to get up to speed on a client’s project.
When clients ask for senior associates who can offer more value, their requests are usually denied. Recently, a client shared that they had a positive experience with a secondee but were unable to pull the same attorney the next time they needed assistance—the associate was now a senior and the law firm felt they were too valuable to give up.
Interim attorneys are tenured; most have 15+ years of experience. Many of these attorneys have even been general counsel or run their own practices. As such, they can work independently, have worked on a wide array of matters and have run matters from beginning to close. When you are busy and need immediate relief, this is the profile you want: someone who can come in and hit the ground running.
In-House Experience
Law firm associates typically only have law firm experience. Many attorneys struggle when they go in-house and need to learn a new skillset (and mindset). Law firm secondees are expected to make this transition in just a few months and complete enough substantive work to provide relief to an overworked team.
The client then ends up teaching secondees the ins and outs of working in-house, in addition to providing substantive training. They see little long-term benefit from this work as secondments only last a few months.
Interim attorneys typically have both in-house and law firm experience. They already know how to work with business partners and have acquired the many soft skills needed to succeed in-house. Clients do not need to dedicate time to provide this training, and the attorneys can get right to completing substantive work. As many interim attorneys work solely on a project basis, they can quickly integrate into a new legal team.
Selection Process
When bringing in a secondee, clients have limited involvement in the selection process as the firm typically picks and sends an associate. While the firm may try to select an associate who is familiar with the client, the decision often comes down to which associate has availability.
Clients have a significantly higher involvement with the selection process for interim attorneys. Our skilled consultants partner with clients to source interim attorneys whose skills and experience align with the client’s needs. Clients then meet and interview the attorneys before selecting the one they wish to work with. This allows the clients to screen for experience and cultural fit, ensuring that the attorney is a strong fit and will make efficient use of the limited time available during their engagement.
Price
Law firm secondees are typically provided at a fixed monthly fee, based on the associate’s hourly billing rate. Although clients generally receive a discounted rate, associates’ rates are high (typically $600+ in AmLaw firms) and secondee bills rack up.
Interim attorneys cost a fraction of law firm secondees, while offering significantly higher levels of experience. These attorneys are billed at an hourly rate, and clients are charged according to the amount of work the attorney does. This provides clients with the flexibility to extend or adjust their engagement, according to their budget and workflow.
Summary
While law firm secondees can be a valuable asset for in-house teams, interim attorneys can provide an alternate hiring solution that meets the quality of service the client is looking for while also providing a cost savings. Using an interim resource for the first time may feel like venturing into the unknown, but with a more traditional (but accelerated) hiring process in place, clients will likely find attorneys who are better fits with higher levels of experience and quicker ramp up times. Interim attorneys also provide a more flexible scheduling option as they are used to working for finite periods and jumping in and out of assignments rapidly. When looking for support with your legal workload, consider hiring an interim attorney before calling your law firm.
