Three annual satisfaction surveys regarding with outside counsel (Exelon)

Exelon’s legal department, according to its general counsel, William Von Hoene, Jr., pulls off a triple play every year. Von Hoene briefly lists three surveys in Met. Corp. Counsel, Vol. 14, May 2006 at 43; each provokes an observation.

The department surveys nearly 500 internal clients and asks them for feedback on the department and its outside counsel. The scale of this survey boggles my mind, as it goes out to nearly a half-thousand clients. What is even more unusual is its inquiries as to what clients think of Exelon’s outside counsel.

Second, the lawyers survey their outside counsel and “ask for their evaluation of the relationship between the Exelon Legal Department and outside counsel.” Few law departments take this salutary step.

The third survey seeks input from the in-house lawyers and paralegals “on their overall satisfaction with our outside counsel, as well as their specific experience regarding five critical service factors.” Notable here is the inclusion of paralegals, the limited number of attributes assessed (5), and that the department shares the results with its law firms.