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41 Law Prac. 47 (2015)
The Key to a Happy Client

handle is hein.journals/lwpra41 and id is 49 raw text is: . ........... ... ...... ... ......... ........... ! ...... ... ... ......i ii .............. .... .. . ... •.............. ........ ........ ...................... ........ ....... ......... ............. ....... ....... .. ............. . ...... ....... ... ... ... .. .. . . ..::,: . . .. ~ ii . . .... '':::i~ .... , ..ii! ....U ......iiii? ..•.. . . . .... ....... ....... .. ...:. : .... :+ ...+: .... +: ... + + : : : : x : : : Setting and managing client expectations is essential. By Rod Boddie In my years of working with outside counsel, I encountered lawyers who did great work and those who failed miserably. The difference between truly great outside counsel and the rest of the pack generally had little to do with the lawyers' technical competence; rather, it was the manner in which the lawyers provided legal services. Properly setting and managing the client's expectations were typi- cally the common elements among the crop of great outside counsel. Nothing will affect your relationship with your clients more than how you perform in relation to your clients' expectations. Often outside counsel will charge into a matter with the goal of getting the right result--such as winning the litigation, negotiating a favorable lease, etc.--without inquiring about client expectations. Clients often will enter a matter with a general idea of what they believe it will cost, who will work on it. the time line, their level of involvement. and what the results will be, among others. Yet clients may not convey these expectations unless you solicit them. If you take on a piece of litigation that you know will cost $250,000 at a minimum, and the client believes he or she will walk away having spent only $100,000, you will have an angry client, regardless of the matter's outcome. The best recipe for a happy client is to set and manage that client's expectations from the outset. Two important and overlapping strategies can accomplish just that. The first is effective matter management, and the second is effective client management. When clients send work to outside counsel, they generally do so either because (1) they lack the technical expertise to handle the matter internally or (2) they lack the resources to do so. Either way, clients will have certain expectations for outside counsel that include taking the initiative, effectively managing the matter and keeping the client in the loop. To ensure that you are able to set, www.lawpractice.org I January/February 2015 Law Practice 47

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