Suzanne Hawkins, a legal industry leader and strategist, is uniquely qualified to serve in this newly-created position as the firm’s Chief of Practice Excellence. Ms. Hawkins has over 25 years of experience leading, advising and practicing in major corporate law departments and law firms. She is a recognized expert in outside counsel management; development of alternative fee arrangements; use of legal technology and process improvement to increase the quality and productivity of legal services. Ms. Hawkins is using her expertise at Heller to develop and implement Firmwide processes, initiatives and practices to ensure that the highest quality legal services are delivered effectively and efficiently.

Specifically, Hawkins brings to Heller and its clients:

• Client Perspective: as GE’s Senior Counsel, Legal Operations, and a consultant, Hawkins developed and implemented initiatives in outside counsel management, process improvement, technology and other strategic areas;
• Process Improvement: improved processes in areas such as alternative fees arrangements, budgets, eDiscovery, staffing, use of technology and knowledge management, research, training, preferred vendors and quality control and metrics;
• Practice Excellence Team: skilled professionals dedicated to eDiscovery, project management, knowledge management, research and development of budgets and alternative fee arrangements.

Experience

After beginning her career as a litigator at Weil Gotshal & Manges in New York City, Ms. Hawkins joined GE as inside counsel in the GE Plastics business. From 1997-2004, she served as GE’s Senior Counsel, Legal Operations reporting directly to GE’s General Counsel, Ben W. Heineman, Jr. As GE’s Senior Counsel, Legal Operations, Ms. Hawkins developed initiatives described above and managed GE’s 1000 lawyer legal department. Ms. Hawkins thereafter served as a vice president at Hildebrandt International and a managing director at Huron Consulting Group. She advised general counsel and law firms on strategic initiatives including process improvement in litigation, compliance, contracting; eDiscovery, technology, knowledge management and financial management and resource utilization.

Representative Engagements

• Designed and implemented outside counsel management initiatives including preferred provider programs, “partnering“ and convergence programs, on-line reverse auctions, and other data-driven analyses and programs;
• Counseled law firms on management of significant matters and use of project management tools, budgets, appropriate staffing, and technology to achieve greater productivity and efficiency;
• Analyzed legal and business processes using Six Sigma methodology, achieving measurable improvements that reduced costs and increased productivity of inside and outside legal resources;
• Designed technology and knowledge management programs relating to eDiscovery, electronic billing, matter management, document generation and training;
• Reviewed law department budget procedures and systems to track and analyze inside and outside legal spend;
• Organized use of attorneys and legal resources in lower cost jurisdictions including India. Performed in-depth analysis of appropriate work to be delegated, developed training for attorneys, and implemented management and communication processes;
• Negotiated favorable agreements with preferred vendors, including eDiscovery; contract lawyers; research providers and court reporters;
• Advised and trained law firms on client relationship management, business development, internal productivity and development of fee proposals.