As the incoming CEO of an established company, what would you do
with a division or department which had very little data, aside
from total fees, number of items purchased for the last two years,
their variety and complexity, and the relative effectiveness of
each item or service purchased? What would you do with a business
unit which was unable to forecast its requirements for external
professional services for the next three years? And what would you
do if the company failed to leverage its purchasing power by not
relying on advanced strategic sourcing practices?
These are not big concerns when looking at sectors such as
banking, insurance, telecom, big pharma and global manufacturing
companies because they continue to refine their practices for
retaining external counsel. Still, the aftertaste of cost reduction
programs regarding legal fees for law departments is not pleasant.
Legal procurement professionals often encounter passive resistance
even when invited to
