Law firms have been hearing for years about the shifting power dynamic within the legal community—one that has given in-house law departments the upper hand. But two new surveys of in-house lawyers indicate law firms may be regaining some lost ground.
The Association of Corporate Counsel interviewed more than 5,000 in-house lawyers around the world earlier this year to get their views on hiring, life in corporations, and their biggest legal challenges.
The results, released this week, show that the decline in outside law firm hiring evident in 2011 “was not uniformly present” this time around.
Overall, the use of outside counsel was up marginally, the survey found, particularly when corporations needed help with litigation, labor and employment, and intellectual property work. Of those surveyed, 67% said they frequently consult outside lawyers for litigation—up from 65% four years ago, but down from 73% back in 2004.
