Outside Counsel + Legal Ops

Last month, I got to ask legal ops professionals what they really want and need from outside counsel, what a true partnership looks like.

The lessons:

Perfect outside counsel? Easy to work with, proactive, and transparent.

Biggest misses? Not following OCGs (outside counsel guidelines), skipping the pricing team, or treating legal ops as an afterthought.

What legal ops wants: To be seen, involved early, and engaged as a strategic partner.

We talked about the value of honesty, the importance of clear pitches and RFPs, and why cross-intros and relationship-building matter as much as e-discovery or pricing.

I heard loud and clear: don’t just DIY—bring in your pricing team, share knowledge, and think two steps ahead.

The best partnerships are built on communication, collaboration, and a willingness to problem-solve together—not just upsell (and, when upselling, doing it strategically with a clear value add).

Legal ops is here to stay, and the attorneys that thrive will be the ones who make it easy to work together and deliver real value.

♥️🔥✌🏻