The value of a small law firm: Somehow, I managed to miss the "small is the new big" discussion that began a little over a year ago. Today, while I was pouring over my Google Reader list, my attention was caught by a blog entry by Bret Trout over at Blawg IT. The post, titled Law Firms - Small is the New Big, pointed to an original blog post on the topic by Seth Godin which Godin turned into a best-selling book carrying that title.

Trout says of small firms:

Small law firms have always had to be responsive to survive. Personal service and the ability to treat each client as an individual is what separates them from the big guys. Now that the Internet allows small law firms to outsource or automate their former drawbacks, they are quickly moving to the front of the pack. Whereas small firms used to try to emulate large firms, large firms are now coming to small firms for advice on how to provide better client service.

And Godin says of small firms:

Small means the founder makes a far greater percentage of the customer interactions. Small means the founder is close to the decisions that matter and can make them, quickly.

Small is the new big because small gives you the flexibility to change the business model when your competition changes theirs.

Small means you can tell the truth on your blog.

Small means that you can answer email from your customers.

Small means that you will outsource the boring, low-impact stuff like manufacturing and shipping and billing and packing to others, while you keep the power because you invent the remarkable and tell stories to people who want to hear them.

A small law firm or accounting firm or ad agency is succeeding because they’re good, not because they’re big. So smart small companies are happy to hire them.

Both Trout and Gobin are right. I have worked at one of Texas' largest firms in one of the nation's largest cities and I now work at one of Austin's premier litigation boutiques. I have witnessed the added value a small law firm provides its clients as well as how small firms are using technology to compete with the big firms.