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MJLA | LEGAL
STRATEGIC counsel for TRANSACTIONS, PROJECTS AND DISPUTES
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Indicates required field
Name
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Name of Organisation
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Department
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Designation
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QUESTIONNAIRE
1. How much time (in percentage) does your legal team spend on the following issues? (Responses to equal 100 %)
Advising executives/Participating in strategic corporate issues
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Board issues
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Compliance
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Government affairs
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Risk management
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Other
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2. How frequently (number of days), in a calendar year, does your organization interact with regulatory authorities with reference to compliance and other legal matters?
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0
1 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 15
More than 15
3. How many disputes relating to your organization are pending in different legal forums?
Supreme Court
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High Court
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Subordinate Court
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Tribunal/ Appellate Authorities
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Regulatory Agencies
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Others
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4. Kindly state the annual legal budget set by your organization.
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Less than Rs. 1 million
Between Rs. 1 million and Rs. 3 million
Between Rs. 3 million and Rs. 6 million
Rs. 6 million and Rs. 9 million
More than Rs. 9 million
5. How much (in percentage) of your legal budget is spent on external legal services?
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Less than 20 %
21 % - 40 %
41% - 60 %
61 % - 80 %
80 % - 100 %
6. Please estimate the percentage increase or decrease in external legal counsel’s budget your organization plans for next year.
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-1 % to -5 %
No change
1 % to 5 %
6 % to 10 %
More than 10 %
7. Does your organization have an in-house legal facility?
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Yes
No
If you answered “No” to Q. 7, please proceed to Q. 13.
8. How many lawyers does your organization have in its in-house legal team?
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1
2 - 4
5 - 8
9 - 15
More than 15
9. Kindly let us know the educational qualifications and experience of senior members of the in-house legal team of your organization.
NAME
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2.
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3.
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QUALIFICATION
1.
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2.
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3.
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EXPERIENCE
1.
*
2.
*
3.
*
10. Which of the following areas of law are covered by the in-house legal team of your organization?
Corporate and Commercial
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Competition
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Labor & Employment
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Dispute Resolution
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Banking & Finance
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Capital Markets
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Insurance
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Taxation
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Projects, Infrastructure & Energy
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Intellectual Property
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Safety, Health and Environment
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Real Estate & Construction
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Telecom, Media & Technology
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
11. Which type of work is exclusively handled by the in-house legal team of your organization?
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Standard or routine
High value, challenging, strategic or complex
Cutting-edge and highly specialized
Other
None
12. Were there any efforts made to improve the efficiencies of your in-house legal team in the past year? (Kindly choose all that apply)
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Greater use of technology tools
Greater use of paralegals and other paraprofessionals
Project staffing with contract/temporary lawyers
Outsourcing to individual practitioners
Project management training
Other
None
13. Does your organization plan to expand or build its in-house legal team in the next three (3) years?
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Yes
No
If you answered “No” to Q. 13, please proceed to Q. 16.
14. How many lawyers are likely to be added in the in-house legal team by your organization?
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15. Kindly tell us the educational qualification and experience you would be looking for in these lawyers.
QUALIFICATION
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EXPERIENCE
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16. Does your organization avail services of an external legal counsel at all?
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Yes
No
If you answered “No” to Q. 16, please proceed to Q. 37.
17. Has your organization encountered any problems with respect to the legal imperatives that have led you to seek external legal services? (Kindly choose all that apply)
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Access to legal expertise not available in-house
Assistance with specialized areas of law
Assistance with specific commercial projects
Assistance with volume of work
Cost-effective to use external counsel
Other
None
18. How would you rate the overall level of service you receive from an external legal counsel for high value, challenging, strategic, or complex legal matters?
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Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Average
Below Average
19. Whether your organization avails the services of an external legal counsel on:
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Retainership basis
Assignment to assignment basis
Both
If you answered ‘Assignment to assignment basis’ to Q. 19, please proceed to Q. 37.
20. How many external legal counsels does your organization have on retainership basis?
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21. Which of the following areas of law are covered by the external legal counsel?
Corporate and Commercial
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Competition
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Labor & Employment
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Dispute Resolution
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Banking & Finance
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Capital Markets
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Insurance
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Taxation
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Projects, Infrastructure & Energy
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Intellectual Property
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Safety, Health and Environment
*
--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Real Estate & Construction
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
Telecom, Media & Technology
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--
Fully Covered
Partially Covered
Not Covered
22. Can you please tell us the attributes your organization looks for in an external legal counsel?
Relationship/Trust
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Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
In-depth Knowledge of Industry/Business Sector
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Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Service Excellence
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Firm Reputation/Expertise
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Lawyer Reputation/Expertise
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Project Management
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Legal Cost/Billing Arrangement
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Use of Technology
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Other:
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23. Is there any new/additional value offering by an external legal counsel that would substantially benefit your organization?
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24. Can you please let us know the average length of relationship between your organization and each external legal counsel?
(a)
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(b)
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(c)
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25. Please rate following situations with reference to the frequency of use of an external legal counsel?
(Kindly rate from 1 to 10, with 1 = lowest frequency and 10 = highest frequency)
Business Operations
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Senior Management
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Strategy Formulation
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Critical Business Decisions with Legal Consequences
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26. Would it make a difference if you received from an external legal counsel:
(a) A dedicated lawyer to attend to your work?
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Yes
No
(b) A relationship manager to look after the relationship distinct from the lawyer/partner handling your work?
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Yes
No
(c) A monthly summary of work handled and pending assignments?
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Yes
No
(d) Quarterly relationship review meetings with managing partner?
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Yes
No
(e) Dedicated website with applications and tools to archive, plan and manage legal work and organize legal projects?
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Yes
No
Any other:
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27. Out of the following, which roles can possibly add highest value as retained external legal counsel to your organization?
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Company Legal Advisor: Regular advice on standard or routine legal matters
Trusted Legal Advisor: Regular advice on high value and challenging legal matters
Strategic Legal Advisor: Regular advice to senior leadership on complex and high risk legal matters
Legal Value Advisor: Regular inputs to optimize legal value at enterprise level for business success
Other:
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28. Kindly define the level of skills and knowledge you would require from a retained external legal counsel.
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Competent: ability to handle standard or routine legal work efficiently
Highly qualified: ability to handle high value, challenging, strategic or complex legal work effectively
Expert: ability to handle cutting-edge and highly specialized legal work with dexterity
Other:
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29. How would you prefer your retainership arrangement to be, with an external legal counsel?
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Retainership fees for pre-agreed number of hours of Partner, Associate or Junior Associate, and additional billing for hours not covered in the agreement at a discounted rate
Fixed retainership fees for a defined scope of work and services, plus additional billing for work not covered under the retainership fees on assignment basis
Lump-sum retainership fees for all the legal work, plus additional billing for major assignments on lump-sum basis
Other:
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30. In your opinion, how long should the average term of retainership arrangement, with a retained external legal counsel, last?
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12 months
24 months
36 months
Other:
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31. How does your organization envisage any role for an external legal counsel in the value chain of your organization?
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32. Does your organization see any value in transfer of knowledge and skills from external legal counsel to your organization?
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By training
By collaboration
By partnering with in-house legal team
Please share any practical suggestions:
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33. Does your organization have a retained external legal counsel for advice on high value, challenging, strategic, or complex legal matters?
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Yes
No
If you answered “No” to Q. 33, please proceed to Q. 37.
34. How much important are the following attributes in an external legal counsel for advice on high value, challenging, strategic, or complex legal matters?
Relationship/Trust
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
In-depth Knowledge of Industry/Business Sector
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Service Excellence
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Firm Reputation/Expertise
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Lawyer Reputation/Expertise
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Project Management
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Legal Cost/Billing Arrangement
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Use of Technology
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--
Extremely Important
Somewhat Important
Less Important
Least Important
Other:
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35. How would you rate the overall level of service you receive from an external legal counsel for high value, challenging, strategic, or complex legal matters?
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Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Average
Below Average
36. How much would your organization be willing to pay as retainership for services provided by external legal counsel related to high value, complex and challenging legal work?
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Below Rs. 50,000 per month
Rs. 50,000 - 75,000 per month
Rs.75,000 - 100,000 per month
Rs. 100,000 - 150,000 per month
Above Rs. 150,000 per month
37. Will any of the following factors be affecting your use of external legal services during next year? (Kindly rate from 1 to 10, with 1 = least effect to 10 = most effect)
No. of legal projects or expansion of operations
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Regulatory matters
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Volume of work or availability of in-house resources
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Changes in economy
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Cost
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Structural or strategic changes in organization
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38. Lastly, can you please let us know any management priorities that your law department has identified for next year?
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Thank you for your time and valuable input. We greatly appreciate your feedback, which helps us to provide even better services to the leading businesses, as their legal value partners.
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