Martin LeFevour, by Martin LeFevour

Martin LeFevour is a patent trial lawyer with Valorem Law Group, a Chicago litigation firm.

“One Goal” v. Getting Paid to Skate by the Hour

As any hockey-loving Chicagoan will tell you, “One Goal” was the Chicago Blackhawks’ marketing slogan for their Stanley Cup winning season in 2010.  It was an exciting time to be a Chicagoan. 

We all know the Hawks won because of performance.  Like any winning team, they out- performed their competition, and like members of any professional sports team, the players were (and are) compensated for their performance.

Big Law seems to have missed this concept.  Being a BigLaw refugee, like the other Valorem attorneys, I know firsthand that the BigLaw business model is about billable hours and time spent on a project.  The incentives for performance, creativity and/or efficiency at these firms are limited at best.  There is similarly little encouragement to partner with the client and become part of the client’s team.

Imagine if the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks operated the same way as BigLaw.  Chicago would still be waiting for a Championship.  Players would get paid by the hour for time on the ice, regardless of how productive they were.  The players wouldn’t play as a team.  They would look out for their own self-interest and seek largely to maximize their time on the ice.  There would not be many line changes, even though this is ultimately detrimental to the team’s goal—after all, the players would be getting paid for time on the ice, not for goals scored.  This just doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t make sense for a law firm either. 

So, after years as a patent litigator with a BigLaw firm, it was time to join a firm that focused on innovation, performance and results; a firm that aligned its goals and costs with the goals of the client; a firm that encouraged efficiency and creativity.  Particularly in the complex, high-stakes and too often high cost realm of patent litigation, I think that aligning these goals can have a great impact on providing results and value in the ever-increasing fee environment associated with patent litigation.  Also, having been a partner with Nicole Auerbach at our prior firm and knowing her dedication to the client and her tireless efforts to achieve the best, most cost-effective results for a client, it was a no-brainer to join Valorem.      

And how does this help you as a client?  It helps you because the Valorem-approach ensures that your goals and my goals are in-line with one another, not in conflict as they are in the BigLaw incentive structure. 

To borrow the Hawks’ slogan, together we have “One Goal”. 

Though I will try to restrain myself, I can’t promise that I won’t at least hum a few bars of “Chelsea Dagger”( the song played when the Hawks score) when we achieve a client victory. For your own version of the song, search “Chelsea Dagger” on iTunes.

My experience and education are detailed in formal bio.