Recent Press Releases

June 11, 2009
Frost Brown Todd program gives new associates in-house client experience; clients get greater value and input

June 11, 2009 – As other law firms respond to the current economic climate by rescinding offers to incoming associates or by deferring new associates’ start dates by as much as a year, regional law firm Frost Brown Todd is taking an approach that addresses marketplace realities while also delivering greater value to clients.

Under Frost Brown Todd’s program, new associates hired this year will receive a lower salary than in years past, but they will be compensated for that reduction with more live training and skill development opportunities without the pressure of billing time to a client, more hands-on experience with clients and even more focused internal training and apprenticeship.

To the extent that a first year Frost Brown Todd associate is doing apprenticeship work, a client will get the benefit of that work without being billed for the associate’s time. And traditional first year associate work billed to clients will be billed at a reduction from current first year rates. The firm expects clients to benefit from working with young attorneys who are trained more quickly in their business and industry – and who therefore can make more meaningful contributions sooner.

“Nationally, clients are expressing concern with the current model for hiring new associates, which is to pay top dollar to new lawyers and then immediately put these inexperienced attorneys to work for clients,” said John R. Crockett III, Chairman of Frost Brown Todd. “We’re presenting an alternative: the opportunity for young attorneys to develop and master their legal skills through an apprenticeship program, so that they are sooner able to deliver real value at less cost to the client.”

The basic elements of the program are as follows:

• 1,000-hour apprenticeship program in which new associates learn the practice of law and clients are not billed for skill development work,
• Focused mentoring and training by seasoned attorneys in client, industry and business practices,
• Service by new associates to pro-bono and nonprofit community organizations,
• 1,000-hour billable requirement (almost half of the industry norm) for new associates at reduced billing rates, and
• A reduced salary for new associates with the potential for a bonus based on performance in the apprenticeship program Salaries for new associates across the nation have soared in recent years, and clients have begun to bristle at the notion of being billed high rates for inexperienced attorneys. In September 2008, the Association of Corporate Counsel launched the “Value Challenge,” an effort to put client value at the center of the legal service billing equation.

“When a business hires a law firm, its chief concerns are quality of legal advice, value, and industry and business knowledge,” said David C. Horn, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of AK Steel Corporation. “With this program, Frost Brown Todd addresses all of those concerns head-on.”

The new associates who join Frost Brown Todd this fall will have a lower starting salary but will have the opportunity to earn a return to the typical compensation track after their first year if they meet performance standards. They also have the chance to earn a performance bonus during the first year.

In addition to receiving more shadowing and observation opportunities with experienced Frost Brown Todd lawyers and hands-on, on-site training with clients, the new associates also will receive professional business skills training. Internal “knowledge coaches” will be assigned to each new associate to provide proactive learning experiences during the first year as well.

“With this program, Frost Brown Todd offers an innovative solution to a serious problem that has developed over the years in the traditional lawyer-client relationship. These guys are investing in our relationship, not just to generate a greater return on investment, but to ensure that the attorneys who handle our business understand our business,” said John McCall, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of E.ON U.S. “The program doesn’t just meet a short-term need," McCall added. "It helps us continue getting the best counsel and value over the long term, and will further cement the partnering relationship we have with the firm.”

The new first year associate program complements the firm’s three-year-old “first-Class” Program, which allows law school students finishing their first year to sign on as Frost Brown Todd summer associates and divide their time between the firm’s offices and clients’ in-house-counsel departments.

Through the first-Class program launched in Frost Brown Todd’s Cincinnati offices, students receive exposure to the corporate in-house counsel arena, and clients get the opportunity to teach students about their company, their business and in-house counsel careers. Clients participating this year include Duke Energy Ohio, Duke Energy Indiana, The Kroger Co. and Scripps Networks Interactive. More information about first-Class can be found at www.frostbrowntodd.com/careers/summer/1l.

“Together, these programs demonstrate that Frost Brown Todd is committed to finding innovative ways to discover and develop top legal talent and put it to work for our clients,” Crockett said. “We want to make sure that our people understand our clients’ businesses, have knowledge of their industries, and can deliver sound legal counsel that adds real value.”

About Frost Brown Todd
Frost Brown Todd is a full-service law firm serving some of America’s top corporations and emerging companies. With attorneys regularly identified by clients, peers and industry organizations as leaders in their practice areas, the firm advises and protects clients in business transactions and litigation in industries including insurance, banking, financial services, manufacturing, transportation, real estate, construction, energy and healthcare. Its attorneys in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and West Virginia provide unparalleled service to meet clients’ needs; deliver the insights and solutions available only from a diverse group of professionals; and support the communities in which it operates. The firm has been recognized with numerous awards, and was recently named to the “BTI Client Service ATeam,” meaning clients from large and Fortune 1000 companies credited Frost Brown Todd with delivering superior client service.