THE BILLABLE HOUR "NO LONGER SERVES ITS PURPOSE", SAYS FORMER LAW FIRM CMO — AND AI IS FORCING THE ISSUE

A new book argues that the majority of US law firms now offer alternative fees, but most fail to capitalise on them, while fewer than one in five execute the growth plans they write.

Barbara Koenen-Geerdink has spent her career on the commercial side of law firms, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer of one of the largest firms in the Middle East. Her book BEYOND BILLABLE HOURS: THE GROWTH ACCELERATOR FOR LAWYERS, due to be published by Hawksmoor Publishing on 7 October 2026, argues that three forces are converging on the profession at once: a billing model that has outlived its logic, AI that is dismantling the link between time and value, and business development still treated as an optional extra.

BILLING: A DISCONNECT BETWEEN TIME AND VALUE
Koenen-Geerdink is direct about where she stands. "My personal view on billing by the hour is that it no longer serves its purpose," she writes, "as I see a disconnect between time and value."
The book cites research finding that more than 7 in 10 US law firms now offer alternative fee arrangements, but argues most are not capitalising on them. It sets out five models – hourly, fixed, capped, subscription and packaged services – and challenges the common objection that matters are too unpredictable to price. "I would argue that if you experience numerous write-offs and write-downs on matters, the pricing isn't quite right." From her interviews with general counsel, the demand is consistent: "Many GCs have said they do not like the billable hour and would prefer to know, upfront, what the cost would be. Business owners find hourly rates difficult to understand."

AI: THE EFFICIENCY TRAP
The billing question has become urgent because AI compresses the hours. Koenen-Geerdink resists both the panic and the hype.
"AI can process information, but it cannot read a room, sense hesitation, pick up unspoken concerns, or build trust over time," she writes. "As technology raises the baseline of legal delivery, emotional intelligence raises the ceiling of human value." Her argument on pricing follows from it: "Value-based pricing acknowledges that speed does not reduce value when the lawyer's judgment drives the outcome." A firm billing by the hour while investing in technology that reduces those hours is, she argues, competing against itself.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: PLANS THAT NEVER GET EXECUTED
"Let me address one of the biggest myths in legal practice: growth happens naturally," she writes. "When you look closely at what creates growth, it is rarely accidental."
The book cites research showing only 18.6% of law firm leaders implement almost all of their plans, and puts the failure down to activity mistaken for progress. "They talk about meetings, events, client alerts, speaking opportunities, and anything else that makes them feel productive. Yet very little of that will lead to real progress without clarity about what they are trying to achieve."
Her remedy, the North Star Framework, moves lawyers from stated ambition to a defined value proposition and an ideal client profile built around problems solved rather than credentials held. On who should be doing it: "Not every lawyer should be a rainmaker, but everyone can contribute."

TWENTY-FOUR PRACTITIONERS ON THE RECORD
Twenty-four named contributors write sections throughout the book, from Charles Russell Speechlys, Bennett Jones, Kinstellar, Khaitan & Co, Al Tamimi & Company, TLT Solicitors, World Law Group, the International Lawyers Network, Cognizant, Nexl, Passle and Rebel Group, among others. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the International Bar Association's BD and Marketing Sub-Committee both contribute. Jean Muller and Pritish Gandhi of Khaitan & Co write that the "partner for life" construct "was built for a more stable, homogeneous world of legal work. That world no longer exists."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara Koenen-Geerdink is a law firm growth strategist, author and entrepreneur, and former Chief Marketing Officer of one of the largest law firms in the Middle East. She is the founder of Beyond Billable Hours, co-founder of the BOOST community for legal business development and marketing professionals, and creator of The Law Firm Growth Game.

PUBLICATION DETAILS
Title: Beyond Billable Hours: The Growth Accelerator for Lawyers
Author: Barbara Koenen-Geerdink
Publisher: Hawksmoor Publishing
Publication Date: 7 October 2026
Formats: Paperback and eBook
Price: GBP29.99 paperback
Pages: 262
ISBN: 9781914066863
Web: hawksmoorpublishing.com/book/beyond-billable-hours-the-growth-accelerator-for-lawyers

PRESS CONTACT
Adam Walters, Hawksmoor Publishing & Bennion Kearny
T: 01538 703591
E: Adam@BennionKearny.com

Review copies, excerpts, and author interviews available on request.

Hawksmoor Publishing is an imprint of Bennion Kearny, an independent British publisher founded in 2008 and based in Oakamoor, Staffordshire.

ENDS