Market Areas > Practice Management > Alternative Fees

Making Alternative Fees Work in Litigation: How to Approach and Craft AFAs

Course Description:

Firms across the country are finding that alternative fee arrangements (“AFAs”) are workable, profitable and marketable when it comes to litigation cases.  In fact, AFAs, if handled correctly, can help align the firm’s goals with the client’s goals by facilitating early resolution, the achievement of specific results, efficiency and budget predictability for both the firm and client.

Find out how to incorporate AFAs for your litigation matters, and how to avoid the many pitfalls that can arise along the way with this information-packed audio conference on CD. During this 75-minute program, our expert faculty will present best practices for approaching, crafting and implementing these highly sought-after engagements.

Course Highlights:

• Why all the fuss about AFAs?
• What are some concrete examples of alternative fee arrangements that work in litigation?
• What is the benefit for the firm and the client in using AFAs?
• How to decide which cases are good candidates for AFAs -- best practices for case analysis
• How identifying client needs help you design a mutually beneficial AFA 
• How to foster the necessary communication with clients in crafting an AFA
• Coming up with the ideal arrangement -- crucial elements you must include in fixed fee agreements – risk sharing, flexibility
• Once you’ve got the AFA for the matter, how to make sure that you remain profitable
• Ideas for dealing with culture shock and partner push back

Featured Faculty:

Nicole Auerbach, Partner, Valorem Law Group

Nicole Auerbach is one of the founding partners of Valorem Law Group, a business litigation firm formed in January 2008 with a focus on providing alternative billing arrangements to clients.  Nicole handles general commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts around the country.  She also represents clients in arbitrations, mediations, appellate work and provides “second opinions” to clients facing key strategic issues in lawsuits.  Prior to forming Valorem, she practiced for nearly 15 years in the Chicago office of Katten Muchin Rosenman, where she was a partner in the litigation department.

In 2010, Nicole was named “One of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Illinois” by Illinois SuperLawyers magazine.  In 2005, Nicole was named one of “Forty Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. She was featured on National Public Radio in November 2008 regarding her view of the future of the “billable hour.”

Gerry Riskin, Founder, Edge International

Gerry Riskin is a Founder of global consultancy Edge International.  He is an internationally recognized lawyer, author and management consultant. A graduate of commerce as well as law, he practiced since 1973 and was Managing Partner of a firm in Canada and Hong Kong. Gerry has been coaching managing partners and practice, industry and client team leaders on Alternate Fee and Project Management for over a decade. He serves on the advisory board of a leading AFA and Legal Project Management-based law firm.   Gerry is author of The Successful Lawyer Text and Audio Program (ABA best sellers). For The Institute for Best Practices, Gerry co-authored two works for those in firms with management responsibilities: Herding Cats and beyond KNOWING, both of which became management best sellers.   He is co-creator of the acclaimed video productions Practice Coach®  and Rainmaking®., has served on the Conference Board of Canada and is a Fellow of  The College of Law in London and a visiting Professor at the University or Pretoria in South Africa.  

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

Pricing:

Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

CLE:

CCM provides audio conference attendees with CLE credit processing services. To expedite CCM processing your CLE request, please complete and submit the evaluation form available from CCM at the conclusion of the audio conference. It will be necessary to enter the following information: name of each attorney requesting CLEs with full contact information, including e-mail address, bar number, and the state in which the attorney wants credits. Each attorney requesting credits must submit an evaluation.

Please be advised CCM audio conferences are subject to approval from each CLE issuing organization and approval is not guaranteed (state bar associations in Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania do not grant CLE credits for audio conferences). The approval process takes approximately 6 - 8 weeks for most organizations but can take as long as 3 - 4 months. You will be notified via e-mail with the final status of your CLE application.

Any person applying for CLE credits must attend the audio conference from start to finish (attendance will be taken for compliance reasons). Requests for CLE credits must be received no later than two weeks following the conclusion of the audio conference or live conference. CLE credits are not available for CD recordings.

If you have any questions regarding CLE credits, contact Jill Adler at 631.368.2082 x 21 or jill.adler@meeting-matters.com.

Each CCM event presents a variety of information and is presented for each organization to develop its own approach and methodology.