Cognition LLP

Are you a law firm or a placement agency or something new entirely?

What type of legal work do you most commonly do?

Do you replace the need for outside law firms or in-house counsel?

Do Cognition lawyers maintain their own permanent offices?

Are you a law firm or a placement agency or something new entirely?

We combine the best elements of the previously available legal models. We are structured as a law firm because we want to be able to provide legal services and advice directly to our clients without the need for additional oversight, sign-offs and duplication of effort. However, unlike a law firm, we exist to provide you with in-house, business-minded advice, as you would expect from an in-house counsel resource.

Furthermore, our delivery model results in a service that is more analogous to a "shared" senior employee on your team rather than the more expensive, and somewhat removed, option of an outside law firm. Most of our clients like the fact that we will come to your office, without additional charge, and that you will only pay for services as you use them.

A placement agency on the other hand, focuses on finding an employee for you and taking a large cut for that service, or alternatively, providing you with short term staffing – traditionally for a "lumpy" project – with one of many people sitting idle on its roster and who is likely a temporary resource biding time between jobs. We, however, are a regulated and insured legal services provider that works with our clients for the long term using a select group of experienced counsel who have chosen to work with Cognition on an ongoing basis.

What is your typical engagement?

There is no "typical" engagement for Cognition. One of our many differentiating factors is our flexibility - we tailor our engagements to suit the needs of our clients. Some of our clients are private companies in their infancy who want occasional legal and contractual assistance on an hourly basis and the benefit of in-house mentality and costing. Others are larger private companies who require the services, expertise and economics of a general counsel, without the headcount and commitment of a full-time employee resource. Still others are larger and possibly public companies with an existing in-house department, who simply want to extend their internal capacity in a cost effective manner without increasing headcount.

What type of legal work do you most commonly do?

Our lawyers come from varied backgrounds, which means we can offer a wide range of expertise to our clients. The most common type of work is corporate and commercial; however, in litigation, patent and other more specialized matters, we can lay the groundwork needed to prepare a file to hand off to outside counsel and thereafter manage, thereby saving our clients significant legal costs. We will develop, negotiate and revise the contracts by which you sell and procure goods, services and technology, and operate your business including those related to shareholder arrangements, corporate transactions and financings, software licensing, teaming arrangements, partner alliances, shareholder agreements, professional services, employment, real property leases or whatever your business requires.

Do you replace the need for outside law firms or in-house counsel?

Cognition's goal is not to replace outside law firms or existing in-house counsel. What we offer our clients is a third choice in legal services delivery models. This often means working with both existing in-house counsel and outside law firms. Cognition lawyers can support existing in-house lawyers or departments by providing an extra in-house lawyer when needed without having to hire an additional employee. We can also help reduce our clients' dependence on outside firms. We can do much of the work that is better done in-house and then transition a file to an outside firm when, and to the extent, necessary. Often, we manage the relationship with the outside law firm allowing your company's employees to focus on their own jobs.

Do Cognition lawyers maintain their own permanent offices?

Not in the traditional sense. Again, we offer our clients the flexibility of choice. If you want or need us onsite, we would be pleased to attend at your offices and integrate with your teams as part of our service offering with no extra cost associated. All we generally ask for is a desk and an Internet. On the other hand, for clients that simply want to outsource work from time to time as it arises but have it handled with an in-house mentality and cost structure, we are perfectly equipped to fulfill your needs remotely. Whichever approach is best for your company, one of the many key benefits that you enjoy is that we have minimal fixed cost infrastructure , which allows us to offer top quality legal advice at a price that is unmatched in the legal community.

Why do lawyers join Cognition?

Perhaps a better question is why wouldn't they? Cognition's business model gives our lawyers the best of all worlds. Lawyers in private practice often express that they would be perfectly happy if they could only work three days a week for a pro-rated portion of their salary. We offer an entrepreneurial environment in which a lawyer can play a valuable role as part of our clients' management teams while maintaining a unique sense of flexibility and control over their hours and careers. As an alternative to a typical in-house position, on the other hand, Cognition's lawyers enjoy the variety of being able to work with multiple clients as well as the opportunity to build a business and consequently, their income.