Challenge
A mid-sized city government’s lean legal team is responsible for advising city officials, departments, agencies, etc. on everything under the sun– from zoning to litigation to labor relations, tax, and more. Laser-focused on budget, the City Solicitor needs experienced guidance to handle not only work overflow, but also practice areas where he doesn’t have full expertise.
Approach
Faced with an inflexible budget, the lead city solicitor engages two locally barred Axiom lawyers on an as-needed basis. It takes Axiom less than one week to identify, vet, and deploy the two lawyers, when the city had been searching for months for the right support. One lawyer focuses on land agreements and helps Parks & Rec with vendor and advertising agreements. The other lawyer provides labor and employment support, managing employee investigations and partnering closely with the city’s Claims Manager and HR team.
Impact
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Quick support freed up city solicitor’s time while speeding up departmental progress on key community programs.
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Filled niche experience gaps that the City Solicitor previously sent to outside counsel.
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Maintained strict budget requirements by saving 39% per hour on legal support compared to already discounted law firm rates.
*Cost savings estimates are based on actual Axiom rates compared to equivalent law firm rate averages as listed in Wolters Kluwer’s Real Rate report.
*Save client $10,000 per month on outside law firm spend spend