1. When you call the office, you’ll be able to speak with an attorney, not a legal assistant.
2. The lawyer you hire is the lawyer who does your work. Your case will not be palmed off to a junior associate.
3. One attorney will know the facts, do the research and apply the law with full knowledge of your case. At large firms, critical information can be lost in the necessary interactions between numerous lawyers, paralegals, assistants, etc.
4. Working with fewer clients leads to a greater understanding of your case, your particular situation and desires.
5. A smaller firm’s lack of bureaucracy means the wishes of partners, junior partners, wannabe partners, etc. do not have to be taken into account. Only you, the client, matters. And there is greater flexibility to devise the best solutions for your particular case.
6. Flexible billing: A small firm can offer a variety of options, including traditional hourly billing, fixed rates and blended fees.
7. Low overhead. You won’t be paying for expensive décor, “team-building” junkets to the Cayman Islands or a fabulous Christmas party… just a good attorney.
8. Lower hourly rate. See reason above for details on how a small firm can keep costs down.
9. Lower bills. With a small firm, you don’t have to worry about file churning by the staff, who need to bill a certain number of hours a week.
10. Tom Friedman is correct: “The earth is flat.” That is, today’s technology allows a small firm to do the same legal research as an army of associates and paralegals. And better yet, your attorney is doing the research.