Will Broadband Connect Firms to More Work?
The National Law Journal is reporting that many firms are expecting the Internet to lead to more work as companies clamor and grab for a share of the $7.2 billion set aside for broadband infrastructure development in the economic stimulus package passed last February.
Some firms have already seen the benefit of this program, having actually helped to draft the broadband component of the stimulus package.
The process won't only involve telecommunications attorneys, according to the article. Because the legislation touches on many industries and has a wide scope, experts in other areas of the law may experience some of the benefits of the grants, especially those corporate and government contract attorneys who have experience filing and documenting grant applications.
The firms interviewed for the article state that they are already discussing possibilities under the stimulus package with clients, and advising them on how to prepare for the application process.
While the article focuses mostly on opportunities that the broadband money is creating for larger law firms, small to midsize firms can also take advantage of the activity surrounding the stimulus.
As this earlier post points out, many BigLaw clients are splitting up their legal needs and giving more work to smaller, niche firms in order to save money in the down economy. This balkanization of legal work could mean that smaller firms will have more of a chance to plug into the broadband opportunity stream than they would have previously had.