Changing the way businesses use legal services

Cognitive Law has always been a law firm trying to do things a bit differently.

The legal sector is not renowned for big changes, and law firms can often be perceived as traditional or behind the times. Does that mean that small changes within the legal sector are actually quite seismic? Lucy Tarrant, Managing Director of Cognitive Law, thinks so. Here, she is interviewed by SBT’s Sam Thomas.

As well as its life-altering consultant solicitor model, Cognitive Law is also changing the way it delivers legal services to its clients. We asked Lucy to explain exactly what the firm is doing:

To set the scene, Lucy, how do businesses use legal services? Do they come to you on an ad hoc basis at a time of crisis, or do they retain you on a constant basis?

Lucy: Let’s start by looking at a business that uses legal services on an ad hoc basis, instructing a firm of solicitors as and when a legal issue arises. For example, a business is expanding, taking on new employees and needs some employment contracts drawn up. They instruct a firm of solicitors to draft the contracts and get back to running their business. A few months later that business realises that having new employees means it’s outgrown its office space and takes the decision to buy a commercial premises. So, it looks around for a law firm to deal with exiting its existing premises and buying the new one. Several months after that, the business is doing so well that it wants to bring investing stakeholders into the business and needs a new shareholder’s agreement. Once again it looks for a law firm that can deal with that. Each time it is looking for a different service and potentially using a different firm.

Using your example above, what’s wrong with using a different law firm for a different service?

Lucy: The time a business invests when instructing a law firm is phenomenal. Finding and instructing a firm on an ad hoc basis is a bit like dating, each time testing out whether you get on, whether you can work together and whether you are going to get what you want out of the relationship. What Cognitive Law does is take the time at the outset to understand all the business’ needs, inside out, now and in the future. We get a full understanding of how the business works and consider what their legal requirements are by looking at it holistically rather than by a matter-by-matter basis. This means that the business never has to repeat itself or provide the same getting to know you information every time a legal requirement arises. We draw all that business’s legal requirements under one roof, in an affordable and accessible way.

But surely all law firms do this, so that their clients keep coming back?

Lucy: To a degree, but at Cognitive Law each business has a designated solicitor with whom they build their relationship and who understands them. Naturally that solicitor can not assist in each area of legal specialism, instead they ensure that any matter with which they can not assist is only conducted by a colleague whom they have fully briefed and personally introduced the client to – at no cost to the client.

That sounds a bit more cohesive, I like the idea of having one designated solicitor looking after me. But surely all law firms have that?

Lucy: Quite possibly, but what many law firms lack is bespoke packages that allow businesses to outsource all their legal requirements to one firm. A package that covers everything they need from employment advice to dispute resolution and everything in between.

The packages that Cognitive Law offers are tailored to the business’s needs and come with complete flexibility to adapt and change as the business evolves. Some months a business may need more legal requirements then others. Having an outsourced legal team in place means that any legal work can be done quickly and easily by a firm which already knows how that business operates.

I’m still thinking that all firms offer, or could offer, to handle all of a business’ legal work.

Lucy: Sure, but what those firms may not offer is access to an outsourced legal team that can be available when the business needs them, not just when their solicitor is in the office. Cognitive Law is a consultancy where all solicitors are self-employed remote workers, which enables them to flex their time to suit a business’s immediate needs. A business is able to contact Cognitive Law any time is needs, with direct access to a solicitor. Plus, every consultant solicitor runs their own small business, so they have a first-hand understanding of a business’s pain points.

I’m liking the sound of a solicitor who is available when I need them. How does outsourcing to Cognitive Law work in practice?

Lucy: We collaborate with a business right from the start to design a package which includes detailed project scoping to avoid creep. As I have previously mentioned a business gets a key contact to manage their outsourced legal services and provide regular reports as matters unfold.

And the ultimate question, how much does this cost because it sounds really expensive?

Lucy: Outsourcing a business’s legal requirements actually allows it to reduce its legal spend and leverage the cost efficiencies of only using a service when they need it. It removes the pressure to find a reliably good solicitor, who knows the business, exactly at the moment they need one – because there is already one there!

Prices to outsource legal requirements differ from firm to firm, but at Cognitive Law we offer monthly retainers combined with defined fixed fees at a price point suited to each individual business. This enables them to consolidate and refine their legal spend without compromising on quality, and leaves them to get on with running their business.

We believe that using a law firm as an outsourced legal department is incredibly attractive for forward thinking companies. It gives a business access to expert advice across all legal departments as and when they need it, at a cost that they decide and control.

www.cognitivelaw.co.uk