Kris Satkunas

Kris Satkunas, Director of Strategic Consulting at LexisNexis, and Toby Brown, CEO at DV8 Legal Strategies, dive into the 2025 CounselLink Trends Report. They reveal rising partner billing rates, especially in M&A and regulatory work, while clients become savvier in managing costs. The conversation highlights a staggering 61% rate gap between large and mid-sized firms, influenced by the presence of pricing professionals. Toby brings skepticism about firm strategies as they navigate the shifting landscape of legal pricing and technology adoption.

Kris Satkunas from LexisNexis CounselLink discusses the 2024 Trends Report, revealing significant increases in hourly rates across practice areas. Despite this, blended rates at the matter level remain steady. The data challenges the notion that high rates drive clients to mid-sized firms, with large firms maintaining and growing their client base. They also touch on the adoption of alternative fee arrangements in the industry.