NexaConnex: your questions answered

NexaConnex: your questions answered

Our freelance lawyer service for law firms launched early last year. Since then, we’ve supported many clients to overcome capacity and skills challenges, both short and long term.

Our flexibility means we can tailor packages to suit our law firm clients and ensure we are delivering what they need, in a way they want it, at a price which provides great value.

So, if you are a law firm considering NexaConnex, what are your options?

How does the relationship work?

Your agreement will be with Nexa Law Limited, our SRA regulated entity. There are four ways in which we can support you:

1. Secondment support: We will make a Nexa lawyer available on a remote basis for an agreed number of days per week, over an agreed period (from a month to a year).

2. White label support: You will have access to a Nexa lawyer or team of lawyers who will be available “on demand” to handle particular matters, transactions or projects. Our lawyers will work on your systems and work with your clients as if they were an employee (or even partner) of your firm. Our senior lawyers will not require supervision (unless you’d prefer to) and will handle matters from start to finish, keeping you informed as much or as little as you choose.

3. Outsourced support: A Nexa lawyer or team of lawyers will be available “on demand” to help your team with new and ongoing matters. You will outsource the work to us and we will deliver it back to your firm rather than your client. You will maintain full control of the client relationship and be responsible for supervising (delivering to the client) the work our lawyers undertake.

4. Referral support: Where you have a client which you are unable to support either because of capacity challenges or because the work falls outside the expertise of your firm, you can refer the client to Nexa in the knowledge that they will be looked after. We pay a 10% referral fee and put in place non-poach provisions so that the client is referred back to you should future matters arise.

How do we manage work day-to-day?

With our secondment or white label arrangements, Nexa lawyers are consultant members of your team and have direct contact with clients as well as full access to your practice management and time recording software.

Under outsourced and referral arrangements, our lawyers work independently, using Nexa Law’s own systems and do not have access to your IT. Work may be limited to drafting advice, preparing documents and instructing experts so there is no direct contact with the ultimate client.  Their work will be supervised by a partner at your firm.

What’s the risk management and liability situation?

Work carried out by Nexa lawyers is insured by Allianz under its professional indemnity policy with Nexa Law Limited. Our law firm client is protected by this policy.

Nexa lawyers follow either Nexa’s or your own risk management procedures dependent upon which of our support options is put in place.

How does pricing work?

Secondment support: An agreed daily rate for each of the lawyers working with you. This rate varies according to the experience and level of expertise of the lawyer, the practice area, the complexity of the work, and the level of demand for lawyers in that practice area.

White label support: An hourly rate is agreed for each lawyer or lawyers who are supporting you. Lawyers will record their time on your system, and you will report to us bi-monthly how much time has been spent by each lawyer; we will then raise an invoice to you.

Outsourced support: Again, an hourly rate is agreed, and we will work with you to determine the estimated number of hours for each project on which our lawyers work. Alternatively, a fixed fee may be agreed for the completion of a particular piece of work. We will invoice you bi-monthly for the time spent or the agreed fee.

Referral support: We will agree a fee with the ultimate client and issue engagement documents and invoices to the client direct. We are happy to discuss pricing with you in advance to ensure that we have an approach to costs which is aligned with your firm.

How can we help your law firm?

To find out more about NexaConnex and how it could help you and your law firm, take a look at our brochure here.

Matthew Dunne & Daniel Jenkins, NexaConnex Leads and Nigel Clark, Nexa CEO