Market Areas > Practice Management > AFA

Making Alternative Fees Work in Litigation: How to Approach and Craft AFAs

Course Description:

Firms across the country are finding that alternative fee arrangements (“AFAs”) are workable, profitable and marketable when it comes to litigation cases.  In fact, AFAs, if handled correctly, can help align the firm’s goals with the client’s goals by facilitating early resolution, the achievement of specific results, efficiency and budget predictability for both the firm and client.

Find out how to incorporate AFAs for your litigation matters, and how to avoid the many pitfalls that can arise along the way in this information-packed audio conference.  During this 75-minute program, our expert faculty will present best practices for approaching, crafting and implementing these highly sought-after engagements.

Course Highlights:

• Why all the fuss about AFAs?
• What are some concrete examples of alternative fee arrangements that work in litigation?
• What is the benefit for the firm and the client in using AFAs?
• How to decide which cases are good candidates for AFAs -- best practices for case analysis
• How identifying client needs help you design a mutually beneficial AFA 
• How to foster the necessary communication with clients in crafting an AFA
• Coming up with the ideal arrangement -- crucial elements you must include in fixed fee agreements – risk sharing, flexibility
• Once you’ve got the AFA for the matter, how to make sure that you remain profitable
• Ideas for dealing with culture shock and partner push back

Featured Faculty:

Gerry Riskin, Founder, Edge International

Gerry Riskin is a Founder of global consultancy Edge International.  He is an internationally recognized lawyer, author and management consultant. A graduate of commerce as well as law, he practiced since 1973 and was Managing Partner of a firm in Canada and Hong Kong. Gerry has been coaching managing partners and practice, industry and client team leaders on Alternate Fee and Project Management for over a decade. He serves on the advisory board of a leading AFA and Legal Project Management-based law firm.   Gerry is author of The Successful Lawyer Text and Audio Program (ABA best sellers). For The Institute for Best Practices, Gerry co-authored two works for those in firms with management responsibilities: Herding Cats and beyond KNOWING, both of which became management best sellers.   He is co-creator of the acclaimed video productions Practice Coach®  and Rainmaking®., has served on the Conference Board of Canada and is a Fellow of  The College of Law in London and a visiting Professor at the University or Pretoria in South Africa.  

Doug Richardson, Edge International

Douglas B. Richardson, JD, MA, CMC, brings over 25 years of diverse consulting, coaching, assessment and training experience to both law firm and legal department clients to Edge International. A Certified Master Coach and certified in Lean Six Sigma, Doug has particular expertise in organizational communications, legal leadership and management, and team performance, including Legal Project Management (LPM).

Doug began his career as a litigator with Dechert, Price & Rhoads and as both a state and federal prosecutor in Philadelphia.  He later was Regional Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and subsequently served as that department's Director of Communications. Doug then spent over two decades as a principal, consultant and practice leader for two major international human resources consulting firms, where he specialized in the unique needs of lawyers and the legal profession.  He has worked with scores of law firms and law departments to build high-functioning teams through leadership development and legal project management, to address organizational communication issues, and to build powerful organizational cultures.  He has extensive experience in assessing legal leaders, developing high-potential talent, performance coaching, associate development, and career management.

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Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

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