SeyfarthLean Highlighted in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal
“Brave New World of Alternative Fees”

SeyfarthLean was highlighted and Dean Martoccia and Carla Goldstein were quoted in the October 21, 2009 Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal article, “Brave New World of Alternative Fees.”

The article discussed how Seyfarth Shaw has developed a process improvement methodology adapted from Lean Six Sigma called SeyfarthLean. According to the article, SeyfarthLean is based on the business management strategy Six Sigma, which is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction. The article noted, “Using the approach, Seyfarth attorneys work with clients, at no upfront cost, to create a computerized process map that identifies every step in the process, who will be working on which step and how it will be billed, which is often something other than the billable hour. The firm has five project managers who oversee the maps and can adjust them as matters grow and change.”

Dean commented that using SeyfarthLean “allows the attorney and client to define the value for the client at the onset of the matter. You’re able to root out potential inefficiencies, identify them early on, and do it with transparency and predictability.” Dean further commentated that since rolling out SeyfarthLean over the past few years, clients have seen savings of 15 to 50 percent. Carla noted that the firm believed the upfront investment of time and money to adapt Lean Six Sigma for the law firm environment was worth it to set Seyfarth apart from the traditional law firm model.