billable hour

In this episode of The Legally Speaking Podcast, we sit down with Shaun Jardine, a visionary in the legal field with a career spanning over three decades.

From his early days specialising in litigation to becoming a pioneering mediator, Shaun has witnessed and influenced significant changes in the legal landscape. He shares insights from his journey, reflecting on the evolution of legal practice and the pivotal role of mediation.

Leading a Top 200 Law Firm wasn't without its challenges, and Shaun opens up about the hurdles and triumphs of his leadership. But it's his latest venture, Big Yellow Penguin, that's turning heads and reshaping perspectives on law firm management and pricing strategies.

Shaun dives into the core of his innovative approach with his book, "Ditch the Billable Hour," advocating for a value-based pricing model that challenges traditional legal billing practices. The discussion also ventures into the realm of AI and its impact on the billable hour, offering a glimpse into the future of legal services.

Towards the end of our conversation, Shaun shares invaluable advice for those specialising in litigation and reflects on the importance of continual learning and adaptation in law.

𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧?
You can catch Rob and Shaun Jardine talking about:

• Unpack the journey of a legal innovator and mediator.
• Discover the secrets behind effective law firm management and leadership.
• Learn about the revolutionary concept of value-based pricing in legal services.
• Gain insights into the future of legal billing with AI's influence.
• Absorb Shaun's invaluable advice for litigation specialists.

[02:33] Background & career journey
[04:05] Interest in litigation
[05:56] Changes in the legal landscape throughout the years and the impact of mediation
[08:57] Challenges in leading Top 200 Law Firm
[19:08] The Big Yellow Penguin
[21:38] Knowledge is our most powerful tool for adaptation and growth
[26:09] Ditch the Billable Hour
[31:13] Value-based pricing simplified
[39:03] AI and how it impacts billable hour
[47:18] The VBP Colony
[48:58] Advice to those specialising in litigation

Get Shaun's book Ditch the Billable Hour via this link.

Join us now on your favourite podcast streaming app!

Don't forget to join our Discord community where we connect with like-minded people, share resources, and continue the conversation from this episode.

Sponsored by Clio - the #1 legal software for clients, cases, billing and more!💻 www.legallyspeakingpodcast.com📧 info@legallyspeakingpodcast.com

Join Adam Lean and special guest Eric "The Viking" Solbakken on this exciting episode of Escaping the Accountant's Trap Podcast. In this eye-opening discussion, Eric shares his expertise as a CPA speaker, business advisor, and creator of the Accountant Success Formula. Together, they reveal how accountants can break free from an oppressive business model and regain control of their careers.

Are you tired of working with low-value, high-demanding clients while being stuck in a cycle of low fees due to intense competition? If so, this episode is a must-listen! Eric and Adam dive deep into the topic of escaping the accountant's trap and uncover the key strategies to maximize profits, attract top-notch clients, and achieve the freedom you deserve.

Discover the three lies that accountants have been conditioned to believe and how they hinder professional growth. Eric exposes the brainwashing effect of these beliefs and shares the truth behind them. From the worth of your work being tied to hours to the misconception that clients are naturally price-sensitive, these falsehoods keep accountants trapped in an oppressive model.

But fear not! Eric serves as your guide, ready to lead you out of this predicament. Learn how shifting from the billable hour model to a subscription-based value pricing approach can revolutionize your practice. Say goodbye to stressful timesheets, collections issues, and end-of-year conversations with clients. Embrace a new business model that fosters efficiency, effectiveness, and, ultimately, increased profitability.

Discover the transformative power of taking control of your business model and regaining control of your life. It's time to escape the accountant's trap and step into a world where you can earn more, work less, and truly thrive as a valued professional.

In this episode of Lawyer's Coach we hear from Tracey Rodgers,  Head of Client Intelligence at Harneys.  Host Oliver hansard speaks to Tracy about non billable time and in particular the time that professional spend on business development.
She talks about how by perhaps relabelling it firms can get more buy in.

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

The billable hour has been the theme of the latest series with presenters  Claire Rason and Oliver Hansard  talking to a variety of guests about what is the marmite of legal.

 In this episode Claire and Oliver are going to reflect on what they have learned so far and also share some thoughts of their own.

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

Adam Morallee is the Founding Partner of litigation boutique Brandsmiths, specialising in IP and sports matters.  Adam spoke to Claire about his take on the billiable hour. Adam also shared some insights on setting up a firm of his own and how Brandsmiths has grown.

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

Daniel Martin is London Head of Business Crime and Regulation at JMW Solicitors.  He spoke to Oliver Hansard about his journey to becoming a lawyer and also his take on the billable hour.

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

Richard Burcher dedicates all of his time to legal services pricing consultancy work and is widely regarded as the leading international authority on pricing legal services. We caught up with him to find out his take on the billiable hour.

​

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

On Monday April 17th the Lawyer's Coach podcast returns with a series all about the billable hour, the marmite of legal. It is criticised for driving inefficiencies and is even cited as a cause of cultural ills.

In the meantime, we will be giving you a chance to delve into our back catalogue. This episode features a replay of a conversation Oliver Hansard had with Pamela Cone.

Pamela  works with firm leaders to address the growing expectations of all stakeholders - clients, prospects, employees, recruits and communities - around their firms' Social Impact and Sustainability programs. 

It was the 5th episode of season 4, in a series called Beyond Law

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

In this last episode of this series, Claire and Oliver reflect on the insights gained.  They speak about the impact that culture has on diversity, through the lens of a diversity study with a difference. They also explore the impact of the Billable Hour on culture. Is this the elephant in the room that needs to change before anything else can work?

The Lawyer's Coach is brought to you by Client Talk and Hansard Coaching.

In this Independence Day podcast, Jeff rips apart NY Governor Kathy Hochul’s new gun laws which are unworkable and designed solely to prevent the implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision on carry permits in New York. America’s airports are not functioning, supply chain issues haven’t been fixed, gas is through the roof — but our Transportation Secretary is gay and that’s all that Biden cares about.  Finally, Jeff provides a Kay Flock update for his upcoming trial.

Contact Jeff at https://beyondthelegallimit.com/contact/.

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Show Notes

02:33 – David’s QBO Troll             

https://twitter.com/davidleary/status/1499514128435531800

08:26 – Are the big firms falling apart? 

09:59 – The Big Firm Biz Model

13:03 – Is this model sustainable? 

14:29 – Why Blake moved to tech

17:06 – Remote work changed everything

18:21 – Can accounting jobs be more meaningful? 

20:27 – Accounting standards haven’t changed in 100 years 

22:52 – Companies and investors don't care about the financial numbers like they used to. The metrics are changing. 

26:39 – People want a meaningful job

28:45 – Lifestyle spending accounts - what are they?

31:45 – Schools aren't teaching accounting students about other opportunities

35:18 – ‘I spent 5 hours on the phone’: Woman exposes TurboTax for taking thousands of her tax return in viral TikTok

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/tiktok-tax-return-turbotax/

36:38 – TPG refund         

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/after-you-file/discussion/tpg-refund/00/2511328

39:56 – DIY vs. tax pro: How taxpayers choose

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/study-finds-tax-software-users-prioritize-cost-and-paid-preparer-users-prioritize-accuracy

41:53 – Working with tax organizers needs to be easier - bad customer experience

44:11 – Companies need to raise their prices and focus on customer experience instead of speed

46:29 – AICPA & CIMA stand with the people of Ukraine

https://www.fm-magazine.com/news/2022/mar/aicpa-cima-ukraine-statement.html

49:11 – Ex-Big 4 Partner On Why the Big 4 Firms Should Pull Out of Russia: 'It's the Right Thing to Do and You Know It'

https://www.goingconcern.com/ex-big-4-partner-why-big-4-firms-should-leave-russia/

50:31 – Visa and Mastercard Suspend Russian Operations             

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-04/card/visa-and-mastercard-suspend-russian-operations-LAhp94TyXAXrNzaILwz5

51:05 – Spoils of War? Ukraine Says No Taxes Due on Captured Russian Tanks

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/tax-compliance/news/21259037/spoils-of-war-ukraine-says-no-taxes-due-on-captured-russian-tanks

52:51 – KPMG set to drop some clients over Russian sanctions

https://www.accountingtoday.com/articles/kpmg-set-to-drop-some-clients-over-russian-sanctions

53:05 – Grant Thornton Drops Its Russian Affiliate Over Conflict In Ukraine

https://www.goingconcern.com/grant-thornton-drops-its-russian-affiliate-over-conflict-in-ukraine/

Big 4 Firms Condemn Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, But Will They Sever Relationships With Any Russian Clients? (UPDATE)

https://www.goingconcern.com/big-4-firms-condemn-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-but-will-they-sever-relationships-with-any-russian-clients/

54:09 – Voicemail from Jack Thiel – Talking startups, etc. in accounting

57:06 – Voicemail from Joe Cangelosi – Leaving accounting

‎01:02:05 – Jacob I. Oberlander, CPA on Twitter: "@BlakeTOliver We're not charging by the hour and not billing by the hour. But we're still tracking time.

https://twitter.com/JacobOberlander/status/1498320967331983361

01:04:01 - Technology has changed the way time is measurable for work success

Get in Touch

Thanks for listening and for the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and, if you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on iTunes, or Podchaser. Interested in sponsoring the Cloud Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus, and NOW, you can see our smiling faces on Instagram! You can now call us and leave a voicemail, maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040

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More than two-thirds of lawyers (69%) have experienced mental ill health in 2021, according to the survey of around 1,700 legal professionals by legal charity LawCare. In this episode, Frieda and Anya explore how much the billable hour mindset has to contribute to this and what individuals, corporates and authorities can do about it. 

We challenge YOU to do this episode's mindset experiment - we believe that an individual's mindset shift can change the future of the legal profession.

If it resonates with you and you would like to explore your professional and personal growth further, please get in touch: Frieda at <frieda@bravingboundaries.com> and Anya at <anya@anyasmirnova.com>.  

Please rate, review and subscribe.   

(Thanks to tedefame from Pixabay for the music.)