Rise Client

The legal sector exemplifies the rise. In 2010, General Counsels (GCs) accepted hourly rates. By 2025, the "GC as Procurement Officer" emerged. Leading firms like and UnitedLex rose by offering secondments and managed services. Traditional firms like Allen & Overy launched Fuse (a tech innovation space) to co-create tools with clients. The firms that survived are those that stopped saying "This is how we do it" and started asking "How do you want it done?"

The rise has produced three distinct client archetypes that professionals must recognize. rise client

As per the "Hourglass Model" (Maister, 1993), the middle of professional work (routine analysis, document drafting) has been automated. The only remaining value is at the bottom (low-cost automation) and the top (high-judgment strategy). The client now buys only the top, refusing to pay for the middle. The legal sector exemplifies the rise

The Rise of the Client: How Information Asymmetry Collapsed and Redefined Professional Service Models Leading firms like and UnitedLex rose by offering