Cravath’s Presiding Partner Says “Time to Kill the Billable Hour”

As we have reported in various articles on our web site, we have seen a changing legal landscape this past year.  One of the major discussion points has been on law firm billing practices and the expected “sea change” that might be in store.  Now comes an opinion piece in the current issue of Forbes magazine by Evan Chesler, the presiding partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, who calls for the end of the billable hour. The essay is the latest entry in a growing conversation about the prospects for change in the way big firms do business. In an interview, Chesler said that he’s been raising this issue with clients and in private talks for the last few years, but he notes that “there’s a lot of inertia, a lot of ‘the devil you know’ in this area.”

For the full article from The American Lawyer, click here.