Pioneer of DuPont Convergence and Law Firm Partnering Program Thomas Sager Addresses Changing Legal Profession

06/23/11

Sager, who began his career with DuPont over thirty years ago as an attorney in the company's labor and securities group, developed the DuPont Convergence and Law Firm Partnering Program. Because of his vision and leadership, this program has become an industry benchmark. As well, it's received national recognition for innovation in practicing law. Sager is a distinguished author, editor and speaker, and has received numerous service awards over the years. Most recently, Sager was recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the 40 most influential attorneys in the past decade. He was also one of five general counsels to receive the 2010 ''Legends in Law'', presented by Burton Awards for Legal Achievement.


Per the dailymail.com article, Sager was quoted as saying: ''The new reality came with the recession. In addition to those dynamics, we find ourselves now much like other professions in that your profession is almost looked at through the lens of the cost of delivering service. Results remain important but costs are also an important aspect of your practice.''

Per Sager, the legal staff at DuPont traditionally approached the generation of revenue with an ad hoc approach. However, now the company has taken a different approach. He was quoted as saying: ''...we've developed a team approach, looking at all potential means of recovery, constantly vetting and identifying potential claims, getting far more proactive and data driven.''

One issue the company is focusing on is ''identifying where DuPont might be leaving money on the table,'' Sager was quoted as saying. ''We're professional and data driven, and it's done in a way that we don't undermine relationships with customers and third parties. We're far more bottom-line focused.''

As a result of its efforts, DuPont's Legal recoveries program was able to generate $2 billion plus in recoveries over a nine year period, from 2004 to 2011.

Additionally, Sager is an expert on diversity in law practice, as well as flexibility in the law firm working environment, focusing on a work and life balance.

Sager was quoted as saying in the dailymail.com article: ''Most law firms that have focused on diversity have been successful in hiring attorneys of color and women but not so successful in keeping them. One of the challenges is investing in them in a way that they can see a meaningful career track and supporting them in a work/life context. It may mean being more flexible in where people work from, using flex time, offering compressed workweeks and any number of things we think can be applied in a law-firm context. Why wouldn't you want to invest in these people when they may be at a stage in their life where they feel their focus needs to be balanced - make their professional life mesh with their personal life? They'll maybe be back with you later. Law firms need to think more strategically.''

In the foreword Sager recently wrote for Deborah Epstein Henry's upcoming book, ''Law & Re-Order'', he expressed the following regarding the aftermath of the Great Recession: ''The rules of engagement are clear: we must be more proactive, disciplined, creative, and client focused. Our profession is now at a crossroads where we need to re-define how we bring value to clients and, at the same time, do so resourcefully.''

Interestingly, he was also quoted per the dailymail.com article as saying in regards to the legal profession as a whole that, ''Precision is no longer the rule of the day.''

In a profession that would seem to demand decision, and indeed, no doubt requires it, perhaps Sager is suggesting that attorneys need to think outside the box to embrace an ever changing world, and thus, marketplace, client base, and client needs. Perhaps by taking a proactive, open minded approach to providing solutions, attorneys and the legal profession will become more rapidly empowered to adapt to shifting trends, and needs.