AdvanceLaw

Our Story

AdvanceLaw was founded by a group of general counsel who wanted to make the legal market better for everyone. Participating GCs and their teams share lawyer performance information through a confidential mechanism, and this feedback allows our staff to find the best lawyer for each matter. AdvanceLaw benefits in-house teams by building relationships with trusted outside counsel, and it benefits outside counsel by rewarding them for doing great work. We have grown to offer full outside counsel management services to select clients, relying on decades of staff experience and a trove of lawyer performance data, and we have grown to include the GCs of 300 leading companies.

We believe the entire legal market benefits from this approach, because it means that clients are paying for quality work rather than just a well-known brand. It also means that outside counsel are recognized and rewarded for doing great legal work, reducing the emphasis on “rainmaking.”

AdvanceLaw also carries out initiatives to create capabilities for all AdvanceLaw members and to benefit the broader legal profession.

• The AdvanceLaw GC Thought Leaders Initiative analyzed a rich set of law firm cost and performance data to determine how GCs and their teams can best manage law firm panels. That analysis was reported publicly in a series of articles available here.
• Insights from the Thought Leaders Initiative helped AdvanceLaw to refine its core practices, and to build tailored law firm panel management offerings for a growing list of leading companies
• AdvanceLaw’s Diversity Mentoring Program has paired over 150 diverse law firm associates with GCs and senior in-house counsel
• AdvanceLaw works with its GCs and law firms to create pro bono opportunities for in-house lawyers
• The AdvanceLaw GC Leadership Awards recognize GCs who are innovative and exemplary in leading change
• AdvanceLaw GCs and law firm Managing Partners gather periodically to discuss leadership and management issues of common interest in a confidential environment