Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys
Pursuing value
Intellectual property issues can be costly, and we never mislead clients about that - but value for money is a different thing entirely. As value lies at the heart of client satisfaction, it dominates our thinking. We don't just talk about value: we pursue it actively.
We are adept at balancing benefit against cost. We have also put special thought into our approach to billing. It is obvious that fair billing lies at the heart of the long-term client relationships we cherish. Less obviously, bad billing practices can corrode the spirit of a firm and its ability to work as a unit. That approach is unsustainable, and it isn't for us. Instead, we work to three key principles:
1. Our fee earners don't have individual billing targets. There is no internal competition that best rewards those whose clients receive the biggest invoices. Instead, our targets are collective. Not only is this good for our clients: it is good for us too. Our collective system is an incentive to share, to help each other and to collaborate. Work can be distributed freely to those best placed to do it. Time can be spent, willingly, on matters whose long-term benefits outweigh their short-term cost.
2. We reward contribution in general, not merely hours billed. We look at what our people do to develop their own abilities and those of others. The non-chargeable but priceless hours spent learning, teaching and improving. We expect everyone to get involved with developing the firm in accordance with their unique talents. We pay for their ideas and their energy. We empower, support, encourage and motivate each other. Successful clients never stand still: nor must we.
3. Everyone at Keltie shares in the firm's success. Rewards are as collective as our targets. Nobody is excluded. The result: our fee earners are supported by people of equal motivation, all sharing our firm’s passion for client care.