Association of Corporate Counsel Names Ogletree Deakins an ACC “Value Champion”

Through proprietary technology solutions, legal project management, and process improvement, the firm’s value-based fee arrangement with hhgregg has saved company 44 percent on outside legal spend

ATLANTA – May 11, 2016 – The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) today named Ogletree Deakins as a 2016 ACC Value Champion for the firm’s value-based fee arrangement with hhgregg. The arrangement, leveraging the tools in Ogletree Deakins Advantage portfolio product, revolutionized hhgregg’s process for labor and employment claims by consolidating outside counsel and selecting Ogletree Deakins as its partner firm.

Ogletree Deakins’ value-based fee arrangement with hhgregg operates on a flat fee that provides an “all-in-one” solution for hhgregg’s labor and employment legal services. Since the arrangement began in April 2014, response times have dropped from 8-9 days (under prior firms) to just minutes. Litigation has dropped by 74 percent, claims by 60 percent, and hhgregg has saved 44 percent on its outside legal spend. Ogletree Deakins and hhgregg crafted a preventative approach by analyzing past litigation and company policies to identify any need for further training or policy changes. New technology platforms allow employee relations staff to manage many requests without legal assistance, and questions are directed to a dedicated team of attorneys at Ogletree Deakins.

A component of the ACC Value Challenge, which promotes reconnecting the cost and value of legal services, the ACC Value Champions initiative recognized Ogletree Deakins as one of 12 corporate law department/law firm collaborations that delivered substantial value to their client organizations by cutting spending, improving predictability, and achieving better legal outcomes.

“This year, we honored three law department/outside counsel partnerships, all crafted under value-based fees, as ACC Value Champions,” said Veta T. Richardson, President and CEO of ACC. “We were especially impressed by the way these inside, and outside counsel partnerships collaborated on technology-based solutions to clarify processes, promote knowledge sharing across the business and shorten the time needed to resolve legal questions.”

“We are ecstatic the ACC has deemed our partnership with hhgregg as a Value Champion,” said Chuck Baldwin, counsel to hhgregg and Ogletree Deakins’ Managing Director. “Receiving this honor is a true reflection of our Client Pledge where we have collaborated with hhgregg to develop creative business solutions, harnessed technology and innovation to better serve its interests, and provided quality representation with exceptional value.”

“This is a tremendous honor and illustrates a true partnership between client and outside counsel,” said Brian McDermott, counsel to hhgregg and a Shareholder in the firm’s Indianapolis office. “The benefits achieved under this arrangement are fantastic and demonstrate a mutually-beneficial commitment to client service.”   

Ogletree Deakins Advantage^TM transforms the typical relationship between a law firm and client into a genuine partnership with an alignment of mutually beneficial goals. “It is an innovative service delivery model built on a foundation of legal project management, knowledge management, and technology that offers client the benefits of predictability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness,” said Baldwin. Tailored to suit a client’s needs, it includes a dedicated attorney team for all labor and employment needs, as well as educational programs and other value-added services, all at a predictable value-based, or alternative fee, price.

ACC received more than 50 nominations from law departments and law firms with at least one year of results tracking. The complete list of the 2016 ACC Value Champions, along with additional details related to the hhgregg and Ogletree Deakins submission, can be viewed online at: www.acc.com/valuechampions.

About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for five consecutive years. In 2016, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law – Management category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 750 attorneys located in 49 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. www.ogletreedeakins.com

About ACC

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is a global bar association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations and other private-sector organizations through information, education, networking opportunities and advocacy initiatives. With more than 40,000 members in 85 countries employed by over 10,000 organizations, ACC connects its members to the people and resources necessary for both personal and professional growth. By in-house counsel, for in-house counsel.^® For more information, visit www.acc.com and follow ACC on Twitter http://twitter.com/ACCinhouse.