Pre-recorded from INTA's 2015 Annual Meeting.

This panel will work together and propose practical solutions to minimize conflict and maximize harmony:

• What motivates in-house counsel when it comes to managing outside legal counsel fees, and what expectations do in-house counsel have in asking outside counsel for cost estimates (and how should law firms deal with such requests)?
• What law firm activities are amenable to standard charges (e.g., trademark prosecution), and how should standard charges be conveyed (e.g., standard fee schedule updated annually)?
• What services should be included as part of the standard charge (e.g., reporting publication and registration, legalizing documents)?
• What expenses should law firms pass on, and how should they be handled (e.g., billing for copying charges and legal research, marking-up expenses)?
• How can alternative fees be used, especially in the context of litigation (e.g., contingency fee, blended rate, fixed rate, fee bap, risk collar, holdback, merit bonus)?
• What are the experiences of outside counsel in dealing with various alternative approaches to billing (i.e., what works and what does not work)?