Cisco's General Counsel doesn't like to pay lawyers to bill by the hour.
Read Rick Klau's post about Mark Chandler's vision of what his outside counsel should be doing. And note that last statistic that Rick quotes: by the end of this year Chandler expects that 80% of the money it pays to outside lawyers will be for work not billed by the hour. That means some sort of altenative billing scheme, either flat-rate or contingency or whatever. Currently, for Cisco, that number is at 65%.
I also like his final quote: “Technology is absolutely the only way firms will stay efficient and effective. Those who don't use it well won't survive.”
Okay, so who's up for becoming more efficient in the practice of law? [Ernie the Attorney]