Press Coverage August 26, 2021

Here’s How In-House Lawyers Can Make Outside Counsel Guidelines Less Painful

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Daniel P. Pulka

Dan Pulka, Troutman Pepper’s chief client care officer, is quoted in the Corporate Counsel article, “Here’s How In-House Lawyers Can Make Outside Counsel Guidelines Less Painful.”

Daniel Pulka, the chief client care officer at Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders, agreed, adding that it can often help to put guidelines into more digestible formats. Pulka said he often condenses guidelines into presentations, which can then be shared with firms, referred back to or sent to new team members.

Feedback is also key, Pulka and Winmill agreed. Lack of feedback is partly why OCGs are a point of contention in the first place. Even if in-house departments keep their own internal scorecards, there’s no substitute for clear, candid feedback.

“When work is getting done, and the client seems satisfied, attorneys may not think there is a better way of doing things,” Pulka said.

For example, Pulka said, law firms often get negative feedback around fees. While this sometimes translates into firms looking for ways to cut costs, it often also just means clients just want more and better communication about budget, fee changes and unexpected expenses.

Similarly, communication styles can hinder feedback.

For instance, Pulka said, many law firms report that their clients have said they wish their legal work was more business-focused. Firms may in fact be honing on the business imperatives, but need to be communicating better with clients about how they are doing so.

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