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04 October 2007
Issue: 7291 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Fees
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In-house lawyers demand move from hourly billing

News

Two-thirds of in-house counsel would pay higher fees for high value work if they were charged less for low value work, research shows.

The new research—Stop the Clock?—by the C&I Group and BDO Stoy Hayward shows that while most practising lawyers use the hourly billing system, there is a growing demand for other options.

Deepak Malhotra, C&I Group London region chairman, says: “If in-house counsel and law firms are to explore a new approach to billing it has to be within a climate of trust. The survey proves that now is a unique time where both parties are willing to discuss fees in a transparent manner.”

The survey of 171 C&I Group members reveals that 97% of in-house counsel have used hourly billing in the last 12 months, although it rated lowest in terms of satisfaction of current billing methods.

The most popular alternative to hourly fees is having a menu-style approach, allowing in-house counsel to pick the most preferred billing method that best suits the particular job—47% chose this as the current best option.

Issue: 7291 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Fees
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NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson

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Wedlake Bell—Rebecca Christie

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Firm welcomes partner with specialist expertise in family and art law

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NEWS
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
In a striking financial remedies ruling, the High Court cut a wife’s award by 40% for coercive and controlling behaviour. Writing in NLJ this week, Chris Bryden and Nicole Wallace of 4 King’s Bench Walk analyse LP v MP [2025] EWFC 473
A €60.9m award to Kylian Mbappé has refocused attention on football’s controversial ‘ethics bonus’ clauses. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines how such provisions sit within French labour law
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
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