The author of a book called “The End of Lawyers? ” was likely to be provocative, but when Professor Richard Susskind, OBE started his presentation at today’s Oxford Internet Institute’s Seminar on the The Internet and Legal Services by noting that ‘lawyers are knowledge workers’, my ears really pricked up.Does per 6-minute billing applied by lawyers really reflect the drivers of value creation; and Are there barriers to those wishing to exploit the economics of the knowledge economy to disrupt the market? Tony Wales , who shared the platform, discussed the fascinating evolution of the in-house General Counsel role. Innovation is occurring rapidly there, with lawyers partnering with business developers to help tailor commercial solutions that meet their company’s needs and reflect their appetite for risk.
Things are starting to move in this field. Lawyers will have to collaborate not only with business developers but also with go-betweens, who see the political needs for action. The end of lawyers will be a transformation to a jobdescription that considers the new regulation frame works on all levels. Gallus
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