Hiring Without a Competitive Benchmark
With so many firms supporting its work, the legal department had plenty of options. What it lacked was a consistent way to put those options to the test. Engagements weren’t always subjected to competitive review, and firms were rarely asked to compete on price or staffing.
Knowledge about which firms tended to be more or less expensive lived informally across the team, so pricing comparisons depended on who happened to be involved in a given decision. Without a structured process, the department had limited visibility into whether it was overpaying, and lower-cost firms capable of delivering strong work could easily be overlooked.
Making Competition the Standard
The department adopted Priori to make structured, competitive sourcing easy to run. Through the platform, the team solicits structured proposals from firms, evaluates pricing and staffing approaches side by side, and ensures significant engagements go through a competitive process rather than defaulting to a single firm.
Individual attorneys across the department are empowered to launch and run RFPs on their own, so competitive sourcing doesn’t depend on a central team to get done.
Legal Ops and Procurement Set the Playbook
While attorneys run their own RFPs, legal operations and procurement played a central role in getting the program off the ground. The two teams drove early adoption and established best practices for sourcing legal work through the platform, giving attorneys a clear, consistent approach from day one.
That partnership meant the program delivered results immediately, well before formal training had finished.
Pricing Tiers That Build a Competitive Field
To replace informal knowledge about firm pricing, the team used Priori’s law firm tagging to group firms into pricing tiers based on their relative cost. Attorneys can see at a glance where each firm sits within the department’s broader cost framework when choosing whom to invite.
The tiers are built into the sourcing strategy itself. When launching a new opportunity, attorneys are encouraged to invite firms from multiple pricing tiers, including at least one lower-cost option. That simple practice helps ensure each RFP evaluates a full range of providers and brings more competitive pricing into the conversation.
By the Numbers
More Than $1M in Cost Avoidance in Six Weeks
Within its first six weeks live, the program generated more than $1M in cost avoidance through RFP activity.
~30% Savings
Competitive RFPs delivered savings of roughly 30%.
Results Before Training Finished
Measurable savings arrived before formal training had even wrapped up, a sign of how quickly attorneys could put the platform to work.
A Full Range of Providers on Every RFP
Pricing tiers encourage attorneys to include at least one lower-cost option on every opportunity.
Greater Discipline in Firm Selection
Structured proposals and clear pricing tiers bring consistency and visibility to how the department selects outside counsel.
Building on a Fast Start
With seven-figure results in its first weeks, the department has shown how quickly a structured, competitive approach can pay off. By combining attorney-led sourcing with active involvement from legal operations and procurement, and a pricing framework that keeps every opportunity competitive, the team is positioned to balance quality and cost across more of its outside counsel work.
