There are three areas where you should focus your efforts to attract in-house clients: Competence, Chemistry, and Cost.

In-house counsel are looking for three things in outside counsel: competence, chemistry, and cost. Let's break down each one.

Competence

Competence is essential. In-house counsel want to hire lawyers who are knowledgeable and experienced in the areas of law that are relevant to their business. They also want to know that those lawyers can handle their matters efficiently and effectively. So how can you show competence?

1. Make sure you stay up-to-date on relevant industry training.
2. Use your successes as marketing opportunities.
3. Get to know other attorneys locally and in your practice area.

You don't have to advertise all your accomplishments to your contacts, but making connections with other professionals in the industry can help you identify potential clients and get your name out there. It's also an effective way to build trust and foster good chemistry between you and a prospective client.

Chemistry

Speaking of chemistry, that's the next key component in attracting in-house clients. Corporate counsel want to work with lawyers who they like and who they can trust. They want to know that you're easy to communicate with and will always have their best interests in mind. One thing that can boost trust between you and your in-house client is understanding the pressures on corporate counsel to maximize efficiency without reducing the quality of work.  If you can provide solutions that help your clients meet these goals, you might earn their loyalty too.

Cost

Cost is also a driving consideration for corporate legal departments. In-house counsel want to know that you're not going to break the bank—but they also don't want to sacrifice quality or service to save a few dollars. Finding the right balance between value and cost is essential.

In 2021, 70% of legal department attorneys listed improved efficiency as a primary consideration for their legal ops practices.  In-house departments are outsourcing some of their matters to legal tech to improve efficiency, especially where they can be fully or partially automated or solved with automation or AI solutions. One way to make your firm more attractive to in-house clients is to provide those solutions directly.  Offering automated templates for repetitive matters, AI research tools, and expert systems can significantly reduce your response time and your clients' cost in the right areas.

Need some ideas on ways to use legal tech to enhance your practice?  Check out our guide to creating legal products.

Value Creation for In-House Clients

Here are a few ways you can use legal tech to create value for corporate legal departments:

• Automate document review and drafting.  
• Use AI to streamline document review process, ensuring accuracy and saving time.
• Implement a client portal that allows your clients to access their documents and case matter information at any time without having to email or call you.  
• Provide your clients with instant access to information about the your process and the practice area relevant to their matter.  See how IP attorneys are using Documate to create expert systems and provide resources directly to clients.
• Streamline case management by using an automated system that can track cases, deadlines, and other important information.
• eDiscovery tools: Automate portions of the discovery process for litigation documents
• Use cloud-based applications to share documents, communicate with each other in real time, and allow your clients to track progress on their matter.
  

Want to stay ahead of the curve by offering legal tech solutions? Start a free trial of Documate or schedule a demo today.