Meet Your Clients’ Expectations

We can all benefit from revisiting the essential expectations clients have of outside counsel. Even though none of this is groundbreaking, it’s too easy for outside counsel to get lost in the weeds of day-to-day work and forget about the most important expectations they must meet. Take a moment to reflect on how well you’d rate yourself in meeting these fundamental—but extremely important—client expectations:

1. JUDGEMENT: The single most important quality a lawyer can possess
2. INNOVATION: Creative thinking instead of relying on how the client has always done things before
3. COMMITMENT: Focusing on the client’s business operations and not letting legal matters get in the way of day-to-day operations
4. ENERGY: The capacity to work hard on short notice
5. INTEGRITY: Being forthright and honest in all your dealings 
6. NO SURPRISES: Handling any bad news for your client the right way, which includes being timely and taking responsibility when needed
7. COMMUNICATION: Finding out how the client wants to communicate and following those guidelines