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O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States, serving both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. Founded in 1957 by the O’Reilly family, the Company operated 3,421 stores in 38 states as of December 31, 2009.
Q: If you think about your best relationships with outside counsel over time, what are three important things other lawyers could learn from them?
A: (1). Communicate timely. (2). Good work within the budget is cause for repeat business. (3). Surprise is not an option.
Q: And, of course, the follow-up: what are the top three things that lawyers could learn from your least successful relationships with outside counsel over the years?
A: (1). That inside counsel hate surprises. (2). That inside counsel don’t appreciate a dozen time keepers on a bill. (3). That inside counsel don’t like bills to reflect a scope of work that was not approved.
Q: What’s the smartest thing a lawyer or a law firm has ever done for you outside of doing great legal work?
A: To tell me when I’m wrong and why.
Q: Are there any client service or business development trends you’re seeing among law firms that you think are headed in the right direction?
A: No, business as usual.
Q: Are there other law firm trends that you’re seeing that you’d like to come to a screeching halt?
A: The list is old, not a trend, and is long and distinguished but involves general billing practices that create profit centers from that which should be overhead.
Q: Have you ever fired a major provider of legal services or have you ever had internal suggestions that you should fire a major provider?
A: Yes.
Q: Would it have been helpful if somebody other than the relationship partner proactively requested your feedback and then acted on it, perhaps annually?
A: No. That is the relationship partner’s job. I would prefer to keep the relationship partner fully invested in making sure we are getting the services we need.