"Bigger is better" has long applied to hiring law firms. But to cut costs during the recession new trends are starting to emerge. The nation’s largest companies are increasingly turning to smaller and midsized law firms to perform legal work for less money.  more >>

Companies hoping to see a profound change in law firm billing practices should not hold their breath. Despite all the talk of fixed fees and discounted rates, law firms are not planning to to do anything dramatic in response to the economic downturn.  more >>

According to an article by the National Law Journal, a new study projects growth of roughly 5 percent in corporate legal spending over the next six months, but corporate lawyers say that fixed legal budgets preclude most increases.   more >>

In the face of this economic downturn, are GCs ready to pay wholesale rather than retail for legal services? Companies will be under pressure to control costs in 2009, and according to a 2008 Altman Weil survey of chief legal officers, GCs are planning to decrease their use of outside firms, which will translate into more work in-house.  more >>