We started Aliant to capture what is the best about a traditional law firm model (brand credibility, origination credits, support of colleagues, administrative and bookkeeping support) and what is the best about a solo or small firm practice (independence and profitability). It took hundreds of hours of work over the span of two years to find just the right balance and eliminate the friction. We then continued to work to make our model even better. What needs to be true about a law firm to make it a no brainer for a lawyer who may want to join?
We decided that Aliant will be the world’s first law firm where the lawyer is the client. We take care of our lawyers. We help them with business development, mentoring, templates, software access, admin support, billing and bookkeeping, and we allow our lawyers to pick their own billable rates, how many hours they bill, who they represent, and how they practice (in a responsible way). We connect our lawyers with appropriate colleagues to collaborate on client matters. Our mission is to take care of our lawyers, reduce their stress, and help them make more money. This in turn allows our lawyers to take better care of their clients.
Our model is particularly attractive to partners leaving a big firm. These lawyers are used to being taken care of but want to experience greater practice independence and have higher profitability. We offer full support, complete practice independence and close to 3X take-home compensation.
Partners leaving big law firms may also not have the time to start their own practice. Running a solo or a small firm is like running a startup: keeping books, getting paid, developing business, marketing, hiring staff, remaining knowledgeable and competitive, accessing state of the art technologies, purchasing insurance, and so much more. Most solo and small firm lawyers spend 30-40% of their time on activities that do not generate revenue. That is not a smart use of their time.
For our younger lawyers, or those who are great technicians and not the most accomplished rainmakers, we offer training and mentoring on sales, conversions, and business development in general. Being a good rainmaker is not about being gregarious (which does not hurt). It is all about knowing what tools are available to generate leads and convert leads into sales, which tools work the best for you, and then consistently applying those tools, intentionally and methodically.
Our in-house marketing team supports all Aliant lawyers with internal networking events (Zoom and live), securing speaking engagements, publishing articles, preparing marketing collateral, and social media marketing.
We have also rethought the traditional law firm model from a pure cost standpoint. Are all costs incurred by law firms always necessary? Can we do away with some costs and procure some services on a per diem basis? There is significant value in reducing the traditional law firm bureaucracy. For a traditional law firm, the single biggest expense is the space lease, followed by staff salaries. Not all lawyers need Class A space in a downtown high-rise, and not all lawyers need all the possible staff on a full-time basis.
Aliant is currently present in over 20 countries with close to 300 lawyers. Aliant lawyers cover all non-consumer practice areas, with a focus on commercial and litigation work for small and mid-sized enterprises and high net worth private clients.