Shook Hardy learns from client’s lean manufacturing effort

When the Heico Cos. LLC went through the Lean Six Sigma method of helping identify and remove waste in its production process, it dragged its law firm Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP through the process as well, leading to exceptional results.
As part of the lean process, Heico set up a system to evaluate the value proposition of the various law firms that provide outside counsel, including Shook Hardy, which helps Heico with product liability work. The ratings measured various aspects of the work as either “value added” or “non-value-added.” The result for Kansas City-based Shook Hardy was an efficiency rating of 79 percent in 2013, the strongest result of all the law firms working with Heico, a holding company for manufacturing, construction and industrial services enterprises.

“They could evaluate who was giving them the best value, not in terms of the best hourly rate, but in terms of the work that was being provided,” Shook partner Paul Williams said. “Was it productive? Was it efficient? Was it being worked at the right level of person for the type of task or assignment? Was it moving the ball on the project or case? Was it resulting in better outcomes than an alternative? Internally, it gave them the ability to compare the firms. But it also created an ability to partner with them and change the way we do things in order to increase the value we provide to clients.”