Act
Analyse
Ask
Services
Click on each to learn more
Consultancy
Smarter Law Consultancy expertise includes: Business development, Change management, Client satisfaction, Collaboration & workflow tools, Contract lifecycle management, Document automation, E-discovery & litigation process, Generative AI, Human capital, Law firm practice management, Legal operations, Managed services, Matter management, Organisational design & development, Outsourcing & alternative staffing, Knowledge & research services, Pricing, Talent assessment & coaching, Technology implementation and Vendor selection.
"[AvisBudget's] application of..Smarter Law..is holding up three years later. Avis’s provision of services to the business clients is well aligned to corporate strategy and priorities, and their radical outside counsel convergence, along with conversion to new pricing models, is persisting. [A]ll of the law firms are renewing, so the stated goal of achieving a “win-win-win” in the Smarter Law Firm — Client Relationship section has been met. Looking at a real world success of implementing.. Avis reduced cost by 30 percent after enlisting [Smarter Law Solutions] to conduct an independent assessment — [the] case has been made and proven."
Michael K. Tucker
Then-Executive Vice President,
General Counsel,
Chief Compliance Officer
Avis Budget Group
"We were able to build a business case to increase internal headcount...The numbers were so big, it was pretty much validating in and of itself."
"After a thorough analysts of the Legal staff, clients, and Legal expenditures; the Smarter Approach review was able to verify the challenges I thought existed, expose inefficiencies I had not been previously aware of, provide valuable feedback from clients/stakeholders and the Legal staff, and offer benchmarking data to help me quantify just how far off the top quality service mark the Legal Function performed."
"Most importantly, the Smarter Approach model was able to deliver a road map to improving the Legal Function's service delivery with suggestions that covered the quality and deployment of staff, best use of outside counsel services, improved communication strategies with clients, and efficient use of technologies for commodity legal work."
"I did my homework before engaging the services in this matter. It did not appear to me that there were any comparable service providers that could perform the comprehensive work that [Smarter Law Solutions] was able to articulate so clearly, and demonstrate a record of success with other clients".
"We were able to build a business case to increase internal headcount...The numbers were so big, it was pretty much validating in and of itself."
Michael K. Tucker
Then-Executive Vice President,
General Counsel,
Chief Compliance Officer
Avis Budget Group
"[Our law firm] increased our share of wallet in [target industry sector] by 300% in 12 months - at increased profitability - following a Smarter Law transformation of our pricing, marketing investment and business intelligence strategy.
"[Our client] paid $4.75M for work that effectively amounted to $350,000 of billable time thanks to the solutions-oriented, incentive-driven consultancy structure designed by the Smarter consultancy: because [client] saved itself $73M as a result of [our law firm's work]. Frankly, the more senior partners here were surprised."
Senior Partner & Business Development Leader,
US "white shoe" law firm
Senior Partner & Business Development Leader,
US "white shoe" law firm
Senior Partner & Business Development Leader,
US "white shoe" law firm
"Bringing in a consultant was important because not only has Smarter Law Solutions] done this before but [CEO, Trevor Faure] also has an objective stance and an understanding of the pain points"
"He was able to help us build the internal capabilities so that we could take over the management of the business model we have developed that will work for us.
"We're happy with the progress we've made and the new structure. We are excited about where we're going."
"We wanted to have transparency. [T]here have to be smarter approaches. Firms we instruct need to have flexibility and be rate competitive.. it won’t be less money, more work, but instead more certainty around a broader bucket of work for the preferred firms. There will be benefits for the company…and there will definitely be some lessons learned."
David Stark
Executive Vice President,
Chief Legal Officer
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
"If you want to understand how your legal department’s costs compare to others, talk to [Smarter Law Solutions], highly recommended."
Roel Staes Senior Vice President Legal, General Counsel Europe at FedEx Express
David Stark
Executive Vice President,
Chief Legal Officer
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Publication
Smarter Law: transforming busy lawyers into business leaders
by Trevor Faure
Smarter Law: transforming busy lawyers into business leaders
by Trevor Faure
Its predecessor, "The Smarter Legal Model: more for less" was described by Professor David B. Wilkins, Harvard Law School as "Like Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point and Jim Collins' Good to Great...it is destined to become an important part of any conversation about the role of law and lawyers in the global economy". Subsequently, as Global Leader of Legal Services for EY and CEO of Smarter Law Solutions, Trevor Faure has helped transform over 250 law firms, in-house legal departments and individual careers around the World. The award-winning new book combines two decades of work, case studies and experience.
"Smarter Law: transforming busy lawyers into business leaders" uses the broadest possible range of proven techniques to improve personal, professional and business performance. This range spans "left brain" (logic, maths, data & words) to "right brain" (creativity, emotions, instincts & visuals). This is modern behavioural economics applied to law. Its real-life success comprise intricate behavioural insights and detailed econometrics processes.
And it's funny too.
"Based on sound theory and considerable personal experience (the author was the GC of a Big 4 firm), this work gives readers an advanced toolkit, a methodology, for the transformation of legal service"
Professor Richard Susskind, OBE
"Faure’s insightful and practical analysis [is] more important than ever, and makes this…a must read for any lawyer or legal organization seeking to thrive in today’s increasingly competitive and technology-driven global age”.
David B. Wilkins, Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession, Faculty Director of the Program on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law School
"Based on sound theory and considerable personal experience (the author was the GC of a Big 4 firm), this work gives readers an advanced toolkit, a methodology, for the transformation of legal service"
Professor Richard Susskind, OBE
"Faure’s insightful and practical analysis [is] more important than ever, and makes this…a must read for any lawyer or legal organization seeking to thrive in today’s increasingly competitive and technology-driven global age”.
David B. Wilkins, Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession, Faculty Director of the Program on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law School
"[The] best roadmap for the modern general counsel.
Probably the best book I've ever read setting the stage for the new model General Counsel"
Paul Lippe, Legal OnRamp founder & Elevate Advisory Board Member
"In recent months, we have seen a growing movement back to simplicity, from the #bringbackboring campaign, to the simple mantra of ‘people, process, delivery’. The Smarter Law approach isn’t based on the future of law, it is firmly rooted in the here and now. What GCs can do right now to improve efficiencies, working practices and transform the function. The best learning comes from those who have done it before. Don’t take my word for it, get a copy and delve into it yourself – you will benefit and you will learn."
David Burgess, Publishing Director, The Legal 500
“Nearly three decades ago, a visionary leader, Gene Richter, introduced world class Procurement practices into the field of Marketing and Communication at HP and IBM. It has taken 30 years for someone like Trevor Faure to bridge the gap between the world of Procurement and that of Legal practice. In his prescient book, Smarter Law, Trevor demonstrates how good Procurement practices can not only reduce legal costs but improve the quality and efficiency of the legal function. It is a must read for those who manage Services Procurement as well as internal and external legal counsel.”
Jimmy Anklesaria, CEO, Anklesaria Group, Inc., Founder, Institute for Supply Excellence and Innovation Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego
"There’s much in this ambitious handbook, Smarter Law, that can help improve cost control and law firms’ value, as well as turn lawyers into successful business leaders."
Catherine J. Moynihan, Sr. Director, Strategic Intelligence & Advisor, Hyperion Global Partners
[W]hat marks out Faure from the various consultants in this space is the fact that he is not just a keen observer of the legal scene, but an active catalyst and protagonist, pushing the envelope of the most efficient project management of legal services on a global scale. [E]veryone in the knowledge industry needs to become their own CEO and ‘Smarter Law’ provides us with the working manual to transform ourselves into business leaders. On a personal level, Faure suggests that it may require us to stop spending all our time on the things that we like and the things that have got us so far in our careers, and dedicate some of our time to learning new things…buy, read and then implement some of the transformative suggestions provided by Faure in this book!
Patrick Dransfield, Co-Director of the In-House Community
"[The] best roadmap for the modern general counsel.
Probably the best book I've ever read setting the stage for the new model General Counsel"
Paul Lippe, Legal OnRamp founder & Elevate Advisory Board Member
"In recent months, we have seen a growing movement back to simplicity, from the #bringbackboring campaign, to the simple mantra of ‘people, process, delivery’. The Smarter Law approach isn’t based on the future of law, it is firmly rooted in the here and now. What GCs can do right now to improve efficiencies, working practices and transform the function. The best learning comes from those who have done it before. Don’t take my word for it, get a copy and delve into it yourself – you will benefit and you will learn."
David Burgess, Publishing Director, The Legal 500
“Nearly three decades ago, a visionary leader, Gene Richter, introduced world class Procurement practices into the field of Marketing and Communication at HP and IBM. It has taken 30 years for someone like Trevor Faure to bridge the gap between the world of Procurement and that of Legal practice. In his prescient book, Smarter Law, Trevor demonstrates how good Procurement practices can not only reduce legal costs but improve the quality and efficiency of the legal function. It is a must read for those who manage Services Procurement as well as internal and external legal counsel.”
Jimmy Anklesaria, CEO, Anklesaria Group, Inc., Founder, Institute for Supply Excellence and Innovation Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego
"There’s much in this ambitious handbook, Smarter Law, that can help improve cost control and law firms’ value, as well as turn lawyers into successful business leaders."
Catherine J. Moynihan, Sr. Director, Strategic Intelligence & Advisor, Hyperion Global Partners
Benchmarking
The fundamental first steps of improving any function is to analyse its performance. Smarter Law Solutions is the exclusive advisory partner of the Association of Corporate Counsel, which produces the largest legal performance benchmarking data set in the World.
Like all products & services, corporate legal department work is a combination of resource inputs and result outputs. The inputs are the quantitative spend on legal expertise (internal and externally), the number of individuals deployed, their qualitative expertise and any consequent liability costs to the business. The outputs are the qualitative and quantitative outcomes: the amount of legal work covered, the levels of compliance achieved and the degree of client satisfaction generated by the manner in which the work is carried out.
Click to learn more
Virtual Client Satisfaction Survey
Click HERE to try out this demo of a Quality - Client Satisfaction Survey we can tailor to specify questions that reflect the definition of your legal team's mission. No personal data is required or collected.
ACC Benchmarking
Smarter Law Solutions CEO Trevor Faure, explains the Benchmarking proposition we provide our clients, the ACC partnership and our definitive improvement approach; click this short video.
Workshops
"..the most thought provoking, relevant and exciting discussion that I have had the privilege to attend."
Alison Lazerwitz, then - Head of Corporate Legal & General Counsel, Swarovski Corporation AG.
Traditional legal seminars are predominantly one-directional: experts set forth their views following a pre-set agenda and prepared handouts. Interaction might take place during Q&A, panel discussions or breaks. Each audience member must seek out content that applies to their individual needs, if there is any. If the traditional legal seminar is like a group coach tour, the Smarter Law Workshop is like providing you with your own sat-nav and vehicle for you to reach your chosen destination from your individual starting point.
Click this video for an overview of the Smarter Law Workshop format, the issues raised by legal leaders around the world and the exceptional reviews and results.
Attendee Feedback
Europe
89% Excellent, 100% Excellent + Good. 4.2 - 4.6 / 5
2023
Content Quality 4.8 / 5 Delivery 4.8/5
"The trainer was fantastic, very experienced and picked up on key issues very efficiently"
"[Smarter Law facilitator] was excellent, his content and knowledge was amazing"
2019
Content Quality 4.5/5 Delivery 4.6/5
"Absolutely excellent and by some distance one the best course I have attended - thought provoking, relevant and very useful, all brilliantly presented".
"The delivery of the courses was of the highest quality - a down to earth, realistic view of GC issues and how to address them. Many Thanks - I will be recommending this particular session to other...colleagues".
"It genuinely was the best one I’ve ever attended and there was so much to take from it into practice. I’m determined to try and put as much as I can into practice"
USA
91% Excellent 100% Excellent + Good. 4.7 - 5 / 5.
2023
4.75/5. "Inspiring and insightful workshop - loved the open conversations amongst in-house counsel and [the] way of specifically addressing the needs of the audience".
2019
"I had the pleasure of spending a day with [the Smarter Law Facilitator] and several other GCs in San Francisco. Smarter Law is Smarter! I learned a ton".
2017
Content quality: 4.64/5. "Trainer is very engaging" "...worked the room brilliantly", "excellent workshop supported by practical examples"
USA
91% Excellent 100% Excellent + Good. 4.7 - 5 / 5.
2023
4.75/5. "Inspiring and insightful workshop - loved the open conversations amongst in-house counsel and [the] way of specifically addressing the needs of the audience".
2019
"I had the pleasure of spending a day with [the Smarter Law Facilitator] and several other GCs in San Francisco. Smarter Law is Smarter! I learned a ton".
2017
Content quality: 4.64/5. "Trainer is very engaging" "...worked the room brilliantly", "excellent workshop supported by practical examples"
Asia-Pacific
85% Excellent + Good
Speaker rating 4.67/5, Session content: 4.75/5
2022
“Extremely knowledgeable. This was the best and most useful session I attended.”
“Best session of the Mid-Year Meeting--- [the Smarter Law Facilitator] was extremely engaging and gave me a lot of good ideas”.
2019
“..very personable and knowledgeable. I enjoyed learning about law department metrics from him”.
“Incredibly engaging...[the Facilitator] transitioned back and forth very easily between being informative and comedic. I would absolutely attend future sessions with this speaker”.
“One of the best presenters of the conference. Exciting, dynamic, interactive - the entire topic area was driven by participant input. Obviously incredibly well-prepared...but able to address the needs of the people in the room.
Super valuable”.