Plan B Business
Professional Services

Stop competing on hourly rate.
Start commanding niche expertise.

We work with boutique law firms (1-15 attorneys) doing $500K-$5M in annual revenue who are tired of the hourly billing race to the bottom. Our 12-month engagement gets you to niche-defined positioning, fixed-fee dominance, and predictable retainer revenue.

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Industry Reality

7 patterns we see in >70% of boutique law firms

85%
frequency

Hourly billing trap - revenue tied to attorney time

Root cause: Generalist firm with no defined niche. Every client compares hourly rates against 50 other firms.

What we do: Niche definition + 3-tier fixed-fee productized service offerings. Position yourself as 'the' boutique for a specific industry or matter type.

75%
frequency

Low average matter value ($5K-$8K)

Root cause: Firm takes any work that walks in. Mix of high-margin niche work and low-margin general matters.

What we do: Drop the bottom 20% of practice areas. Focus on 1-2 niches where you can command $15K-$50K matter values. Refer the rest out for referral fees.

70%
frequency

Pricing hasn't increased since 2019

Root cause: Partner-attorney fear of losing clients. No data on market rates.

What we do: Annual rate increase of 5-8% baked into engagement letters. Justified through quantified ROI on matters.

65%
frequency

Cash flow tied to 60-90 day collections

Root cause: Hourly billing means invoicing monthly. Clients pay 30-60 days late. Cash crunch every quarter-end.

What we do: Fixed-fee structures with 50% upfront / 50% on completion. Retainer engagements with monthly draws. Net 30 max.

80%
frequency

No business development engine

Root cause: All new clients come from existing client referrals. No proactive BD strategy.

What we do: LinkedIn-based thought leadership (3 posts/week per partner). Referral partnerships with CPAs, financial advisors, and other professionals. Speaking engagement strategy.

60%
frequency

Junior associate retention crisis

Root cause: Below-market salaries, partnership track that takes 8-10 years, no equity or upside beyond salary.

What we do: Restructure compensation: market-rate base + origination bonuses + transparent equity path. Define 'Partner-track' vs 'Career associate' vs 'Of counsel' tracks.

75%
frequency

Practice management still in Word/Excel/email chains

Root cause: Lawyers resist software. Firm runs on email and matter folders.

What we do: Deploy Clio/PracticePanther/Litify. Time tracking, matter management, billing, document management in one system. Required, not optional.

Benchmarks

The numbers we hit

KPIMarket avgPlan B targetAfter 12 mo
Average matter value$5K-$12K$25K-$75K$18K-$60K
% revenue from retainer engagements10-25%50%+35-55%
Partner billable hours (weekly)45-55<3028-40
Days sales outstanding (DSO)75-90<4540-60
Hourly billable rate (senior partner)$300-$450$700-$1,200$550-$1,000
Client referral rate (annual)1.23.5+2.4-4.0
Junior associate retention (3-year)35%75%+60-80%
Engagement Model

What working with us looks like

  1. 01

    Month 1: Practice area + financial audit

    We map every practice area's contribution margin, every attorney's utilization rate, and your DSO. We identify the 1-2 niches with the highest defensible margins.

  2. 02

    Months 2-3: Niche positioning + productized services

    We define your 1-2 niches in detail (sub-industries, deal types, geographic focus). We build 3 productized service offerings with fixed fees. We rewrite your engagement letters and intake process.

  3. 03

    Months 4-6: BD engine + retainer push

    LinkedIn content cadence launches for 2-3 partners. We launch referral partnerships with 5-8 professionals. We convert your top 10 existing clients to annual retainers.

  4. 04

    Months 7-12: Operations + leverage

    Practice management software fully deployed. Junior associate retention program in place. Partner billable hours drop. Average matter value 2-3x. We shift to quarterly cadence.

Common questions from boutique law firms owners

What size firm is this for?−
Sweet spot: 1-15 attorneys doing $500K-$5M revenue. Below $500K, you need solo-practitioner advisory which we offer but it's a different engagement. Above 15 attorneys, you typically need a full-time COO or Director of Operations.
What practice areas do you work with?+
Any practice area where 'niche specialization' creates pricing power: business law, IP, immigration, family law (high-net-worth), criminal defense (white collar), employment law, real estate (commercial), tax. We do not work with personal injury (different economics) or class action firms.
We're a generalist firm. Can we really niche down?+
Yes, but it takes 12-18 months. Most firms can identify 1-2 practice areas where they already do 30%+ of revenue. We help you double down on those, productize them, and quietly de-emphasize the rest over time. You don't 'kill' practice areas - you just stop marketing them and stop accepting new matters.
What about ethics rules and bar restrictions on advertising/pricing?+
We respect every state bar's advertising rules. Our model is built on demonstrating expertise through content, not on aggressive advertising claims. Fixed-fee structures and value-based pricing are explicitly permitted in every US state - they're the modern standard, not the exception.
Who does the work?+
Ligal Frish and Eitan Eshtemaker. The founders, not associates. You won't be handed off.
What's your fee structure?+
Diagnostic: $1,500 one-time. Advisor: $3,500/month (most engagements). Partner: $8,500+/month (multi-partner firms or fast-growth scenarios). No long-term contract - 30-day notice to end.
Will you help with hiring, performance reviews, partnership decisions?+
Yes. We're a strategic operating partnership - hiring, compensation, partnership-track decisions, and firm governance are all in scope. We won't make decisions for you, but we will give you frameworks and outside perspective.
What if I'm a solo attorney?+
Solo practice engagements are typically 6 months and focused on positioning + productization. We help solos go from charging $300/hour to $1,500/hour for the same work by repositioning into a defensible niche.

Stop billing hours. Start commanding outcomes.

30-minute strategy call. We'll diagnose your top 2 levers and tell you if we're a fit. No pitch. No pressure.

Book My Free Strategy Call