MicroLaw: Boutique practices emerging from big firms increasingly common, claims leading academic
updated on 21 February 2014
The trend of the 'micro' law firm - a boutique practice that is part of a larger firm’s network - has been rising because the biggest law firms struggle to exert the desired control over their large practices, according to a leading academic.
Professor John Flood of Westminster University made the observation following the launch of a boutique arbitration practice by partners at Freshfields Bruckaus Deringer. Flood argued that the boutique trend has been evident for years and that it is a viable alternative to large-scale outsourcing for big firms.
Speaking to Legal Futures, Flood said: "A key dilemma with BigLaw is that, in essence, it is a set of interlocking networks that both vie and compete with each other. The result is that fission is common, and fusion is less so. Its main form of remuneration - profits per equity partner - enforces short termism and low thresholds of loyalty. Even the moves from traditional partnership to more bureaucratic forms of partnership are failing to solve the problem…and this is what MicroLaw can do: cases can be referred to it without fear of poaching clients and conflicts conundrums can be outsourced. Most importantly, the client will be dealing with the key lawyer, not a junior associate being trained at the cost of the client."
