Tressler Partner and Chicago office Managing Partner, D.J. Sartorio, has authored “Management Playlist: Unbundled up,” published by the Chicago Lawyer, Oct. 1, 2013. D.J.’s Management Playlist column appears monthly in Chicago Lawyer magazine.
In “Unbundled up,” he writes about unbundled legal services, also known as limited-scope representation. Specifically, it is a method of legal representation by which an attorney and client agree to limit the scope of the attorney’s involvement in the representation, leaving responsibility for the other aspects of the matter to the client, usually in order to save the client money. Although unbundling has gained momentum throughout the country since the American Bar Association revised Model Rule 1.2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct in 2002, it has only recently come to Illinois.
D.J. writes that the most sophisticated providers have evolved from being just low-cost outsourcing companies to being critical providers of hard data analytics and key processes. It’s estimated that the market has seen 50 percent growth since 2008, with more than 90 percent of the work being outsourced directly by corporate legal departments or on their behalf by law firms. Satisfaction ratings are quite high.
"The reaction of the more forward-looking, writes D.J., is to recognize this as a fundamental shift in the market for legal services." Lawyers will be hired to do things for which lawyers are required. At the same time, clients can avoid paying lawyers for performing tasks that others can competently and efficiently perform.
For a copy of the article, please visit the Chicago Lawyer magazine’s website by CLICKING HERE. Alternatively, you may contact the author directly at djsartorio@tresslerllp.com or 312-627-4093.
About the Author
D.J. Sartorio has more than 30 years experience as an insurance and appellate lawyer. He has extensive experience representing insurance companies in litigation, coverage analysis and underwriting consulting. He has successfully handled appeals throughout the United States, including one that changed Illinois law with respect to expert disclosures. Active in firm management, D.J. has served on Tressler’s four-person Executive Committee, which is the governing body of the firm, since 2001, and presently also serves as Managing Partner of the firm’s Chicago office.
In “Unbundled up,” he writes about unbundled legal services, also known as limited-scope representation. Specifically, it is a method of legal representation by which an attorney and client agree to limit the scope of the attorney’s involvement in the representation, leaving responsibility for the other aspects of the matter to the client, usually in order to save the client money. Although unbundling has gained momentum throughout the country since the American Bar Association revised Model Rule 1.2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct in 2002, it has only recently come to Illinois.
D.J. writes that the most sophisticated providers have evolved from being just low-cost outsourcing companies to being critical providers of hard data analytics and key processes. It’s estimated that the market has seen 50 percent growth since 2008, with more than 90 percent of the work being outsourced directly by corporate legal departments or on their behalf by law firms. Satisfaction ratings are quite high.
"The reaction of the more forward-looking, writes D.J., is to recognize this as a fundamental shift in the market for legal services." Lawyers will be hired to do things for which lawyers are required. At the same time, clients can avoid paying lawyers for performing tasks that others can competently and efficiently perform.
For a copy of the article, please visit the Chicago Lawyer magazine’s website by CLICKING HERE. Alternatively, you may contact the author directly at djsartorio@tresslerllp.com or 312-627-4093.
About the Author
D.J. Sartorio has more than 30 years experience as an insurance and appellate lawyer. He has extensive experience representing insurance companies in litigation, coverage analysis and underwriting consulting. He has successfully handled appeals throughout the United States, including one that changed Illinois law with respect to expert disclosures. Active in firm management, D.J. has served on Tressler’s four-person Executive Committee, which is the governing body of the firm, since 2001, and presently also serves as Managing Partner of the firm’s Chicago office.