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Author: Jane Belchers<\/strong> from Glow Public Relations<\/a>. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n
Commercial law advisors Whipping the Cat are poised to disrupt the status quo of the traditional, high cost legal industry by becoming a fixed cost legal partner for businesses of any size. The boutique consultancy has this week announced the launch of its fixed-fee commercial legal services, aimed primarily at modern small- to medium-sized businesses, and also catering to the outsourcing needs of larger corporates.<\/p>\n
Offering a fresh new approach to commercial law through its pre-determined billing model, Whipping the Cat will provide a wide range of corporate legal services. These include: intellectual property advice; the drafting and vetting of contracts such as leases, business terms, license agreements, distribution agreements, franchise agreements, service contracts and teaming agreements and all employment-related matters. All services will be quoted for upfront and billed on a fixed fee basis, enabling clients to budget for their annual legal spend. This is a first for the South African commercial law sector, where legal advisory outsourcing and a fixed fee business model are virtually unheard of.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery business requires high quality legal advice from time to time, but unless you have an open-ended legal budget \u2013 which few businesses do \u2013 the sound of a traditional law firm\u2019s fee clock notching up billable hours can be daunting,\u201d says Whipping the Cat founder and CEO, Graeme Wilson.<\/p>\n
Client Alana Bond, the MD of Johannesburg-based economic development company Simanye, agrees. \u201cJust because we are a small business does not mean we are not exposed to big risks, and if something goes wrong, we could be out of business overnight. But despite the risks, we can\u2019t afford big legal bills. We use Whipping the Cat for all our employee-related matters and to put the right commercial agreements in place. They do this for us pragmatically and without unnecessary legalese. This gives me peace of mind that the legal aspects are understood and taken care of, and frees me up to focus on delivering to our clients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through the use of technology and the employment of an outsourced legal consulting model, Whipping the Cat promises to provide high quality, skills-based legal services at a fair price, quoted upfront for a fixed annual fee.<\/p>\n
Rasheed Hargey, CEO of Cape Town-based communications solutions provider Tellumat, says that the freedom to adjust his legal package according to his company\u2019s requirements has been beneficial.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a retainer contract with Graeme that we were under-using and we were paying more than we could justify every month. When he suggested we scale down our monthly package to a level more appropriate for our business\u2019 needs, I was delighted. The fact that they initiated the fee reduction on our pre-determined fee was a welcome change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Depending on business size and options selected, clients will be given 24-hour access to online templates, tool kits and a library of information, to empower them to complete contracts and find answers to legal questions specific to their business any time of the day or night. In conjunction with its online business dashboard, Whipping the Cat\u2019s legal advisory solution offers clients direct access to a team of legal professionals, allowing for one-on-one consulting whenever this is required \u2013 but never with the clock ticking.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur service effectively amounts to having your own in-house legal counsel, but only as and when your company needs it. This drastically reduces costs while giving clients the peace of mind that legally, their business is always covered,\u201d adds Wilson. \u201cCompanies wanting to put a cap on their annual legal spend can opt for an annual contract with fixed monthly payments.\u201d<\/p>\n
The benefits of constant access to expert legal advice can also be passed on to one\u2019s customers. Andy Sutcliffe, Group CEO of advertising agency 34, says: \u201cOur clients are always asking us for help with the legalities around promotions and competitions. Through Whipping the Cat we are able to offer a value-adding legal service to ensure that the terms and conditions used in much of the marketing material we produce are fully compliant. This extends our agency\u2019s offering and takes the headache out of running promotional campaigns for our clients.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that there is an opportunity to demystify law and make legal services more accessible to a wider range of companies, while giving businesses the ability to effectively budget for an entire year\u2019s legal fees.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about Whipping the Cat, visit www.whippingthecat.com.<\/p>\n
More Info link:<\/strong>: Author: Jane Belchers<\/strong> from Glow Public Relations<\/a>. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n
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