Marque is a law firm that does not measure its people or its clients in six minute units of time. We do not charge by the hour. We do not charge when we pick up the phone or send you an email. We do not charge you for taking you to lunch or travel time or any of that kind of stuff that is disconnected from the real value of what we do.
Travel time – this one is an absolute shocker. Given the disarmingly high cost of each billable unit, we think potential travel time is technically built into each unit involving legal work. We recently heard of a Blakes graduate who, rather than walking a handful of blocks to deliver a document, took a cab that was stuck in traffic for roughly double the time the walk would have taken, both ways, then charged the client for the cost of the cab and the amount of time the delivery took.
Seriously, something is wrong with this system and we’re glad that an outfit like Marque Lawyers is doing something about it. But what’s more, it sounds like clients are listening to the firm’s novel value proposition and the growth of its partnership is testament to this. Today, Marque announced the addition of a new partner with the recruitment of Chaz Dheer to head up its corporate/M&A practice. Said Managing Partner Michael Bradley of the news:
Chaz’s skills and experience fit perfectly with our clients’ needs in the corporate sphere. And we’ve been looking to hire someone called Chaz for years, so you can imagine how delighted we are
Marque now has seven partners and its practice covers corporate, commercial, litigation, workplace relations, intellectual property and competition and consumer law.
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Bowen Buchbinder Vilensky has no billables either, making it the first in the West to move away from billables.
They still indulge in bigfirmesque time-wasting by threatening defamation proceedings in practically every contentious matter though … Please if you know that we know that you aren’t going to commence defamation proceedings (because it isn’t defamation and this is just a contractual dispute) don’t threaten it! It just makes us laugh at you.
“Marque now has seven partners and its practice covers corporate, commercial, litigation, workplace relations, intellectual property and competition and consumer law.”
Holy crap…. clearly the Everest of the Australian legal landscape…. those top tiers better watch out!
I’m sorry but Firmspy’s willingness to act as an uncritical spokesperson for smaller firms pisses me off.
No mention of the fact that Chaz has been hired to replace the previous (now departed) corporate partner, Kylie Macpherson?
“But what’s more, it sounds like clients are listening to the firm’s novel value proposition and the growth of its partnership is testament to this” indeed.
@ Franklin: +1
FS must be full of hipsters. If Marque was a massive firm but with the same culture they have now, FS would hate them too. Has nothing to do with their culture. Mr. Bradley is a ponce and his “quirky” culture disappears when you meet him in person. I’ll pass thanks.
The managing partner, formerly MP of Gadens, presided over Gadens’ graduate recruitment practices (e.g. the ball pit at the Careers Fair) which were designed to hoodwink unsuspecting undergraduates to think that working at Gadens would actually be an enjoyable experience. It was a horrible place to work. Like all the other firms the recruitment publications/messages were written by someone in fantasy land. Now similar tactics are being used at Marque (e.g. their recent twitter stunt). I wonder if there is a similar disjuncture between the appearance and reality. I will however tip my hat to them for having an awesome PR machine, for such a small firm they get an awful lot of (free) media air time.
Marque Lawyers – all bread, no sausage…except those that the partners decide, from time to time, to shove up your backside.
You can feel the love from the top tears. If you’re not top tier. Then you’re just not a legal jam donut.