November 9, 2020
This is the second in a series of posts on managing transaction legal cost. In the previous post, I listed what I see as the two primary components driving legal cost: “Deal Complexity” and “Negotiation Intensity.” This installment introduces the concept of “Negotiation Intensity” which has a greater impact on the total legal bill than even the complexity of the deal itself. I have worked on deals and negotiations of all sizes and of varying degrees of complexity, and I learned a few important lessons along the way that I would like to share with you...
September 24, 2020
Of all the things they don’t teach lawyers in law school, the number one lesson I never received was how to manage legal cost. I have been an acquisitions manager, asset manager, broker, developer and real estate attorney in my 30+ years in commercial real estate and in all of those roles I struggled with containing legal fees. I have worked on deals and negotiations of all sizes and of varying degrees of complexity, and I learned a few important lessons along the way that I would like to share with you...
August 13, 2020
I understand why clients might be impressed when they read an attorney’s biography and see all of the large deals they’ve closed or the large companies they have represented (I was a partner at two national law firms and I certainly emphasized these things in my own firm biographies). After all, if they represented these types of clients or worked on nine-figure financings or they are a partner at a large law firm, they must be smart and capable, correct? I have worked with lawyers from all kinds of backgrounds and with a variety of accolades, and I learned a few important lessons along the way that I would like to share with you...