Our Structure Benefits Our Clients
An individual or business with a legal need faces a staggering set of options for legal representation. ELM is set up to deliver the highest-quality legal services and responsive, personal service, at a fair price.
Size Matters
We believe that for ninety-five percent of legal needs, our 16-lawyer team is the ideal size. We are big enough to:
- Allow our lawyers to develop expertise in particular areas and still deliver a broad range of legal services;
- Achieve economies of scale that benefit our clients, using technology and experience to automate a variety of legal tasks; and
- Staff up major projects with multiple lawyers on short notice when necessary.
Yet we are small enough that:
- You can expect responsive service even if you aren’t a huge corporation. We value each client, large and small; and
- Clients with multiple legal needs or a single need requiring a unique combination of skills can count on long-term relationships with lawyers who are just down the hall from one another and work together on a daily basis. Such relationships stand in stark contrast to the typical large-firm experience where most lawyers only know the people in their own practice group and the firm is not set up to deliver multi-disciplinary service on anything but the largest projects.
Structure Matters
Many firms are set up as simply a corporate combination of sole-practitioners, where each lawyer’s compensation is tied directly to what he or she produces. This is sometimes referred to as an “eat what you kill” compensation structure, and it results in lawyers hoarding work rather than looking out for their clients’ best interest. At ELM, the lawyers share in the success of the firm as a whole. This encourages us to staff projects with the lawyer or lawyers who are most qualified to do the work for the client in an efficient manner, resulting in better work and lower cost.
Our size, compensation structure, and values also lead to a turnover rate for our lawyers that is much lower than the typical law firm. Rather than always looking for an environment with slightly better pay or working conditions, our lawyers truly enjoy working together and deeply value the long-term relationships with our clients and with one another. Odds are, if you form a relationship with some of the lawyers at ELM, you’ll still be working with this same group of people one year, three years, or even ten years from now. The most detailed files and the greatest knowledge management system in the world cannot replace the benefits of a long-term relationship with a small group of people who understand you, your business, and your values.