Academic

Simplicity Law

By Gordon Smith, Christine, Hurt, Vic Fleischer, Fred Tung, Lisa Fairfax, David Zaring

Layoff Tracker: "As of July 5, 2009, over 12,829 people have been laid off by major law firms (4,985 lawyers / 7,844 staff) since January 1, 2008."

Seems like a perfect time to start a new law firm.

Dion Persson is seizing the opportunity with gusto. Dion and I worked together at Skadden in Delaware, and for the past 15 years, he has been working in house and as Senior Vice President at Johns Manville. Now he is trying to build a national law firm that would provide services only to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

So far, Simplicity Law has two lawyers, with a few others on call. Dion tells me that this is an attempt to "build the law firm of the future," which is exactly what you would expect him to say. But could it be more than just a marketing pitch?

Dion is imagining a "new model" of law firm, one that relies on technology to provide super-fast service at fixed costs for many of the more-or-less routine transactions that arise in the small business context. Among the many things I like about the idea is the possibility that Simplicity Law will be more amenable to lawyers who are stay-at-home moms or otherwise have a hard time making it in the traditional law firm model. I am rooting for Simplicity Law.

But what do you think? Have you seen anything like this before? Is Dion onto something?

Full post as published by Conglomerate on July 12, 2009 (boomark / email).