“That’s why we hire a lawyer” is the title of a recent study by the Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession and the law firm Taylor Wessing. In this study, the authors examine the importance of external lawyers in companies’ conflict management. The study comes to the conclusion that lawyers are mostly used in the litigation phase after negotiations have failed. Lawyers would rarely refer to alternative dispute resolution procedures.
However, there are increasing signs that companies are opening up to the establishment of conflict management systems that also take into account out-of-court dispute resolution procedures. External lawyers are also expected to have the relevant knowledge and advice on out-of-court dispute resolution.
You can find the study either on the website of the Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession or on the website of Taylor Wessing.
