These in-house counsel are more vigilant about their outside counsel expenditures than ever before, and some law firm partners are undertaking innovative measures to address these concerns. In response to their clients’ calls for more efficiencies and cost-effectiveness some international law firm partners are wondering if their firms will be able to meet the challenge of providing strong client service at a cost that is palatable to their clients. As most large law firms will remain unwieldy, bureaucratic, prone to conflicts and most saliently, tied to the (high) billable hour for some time, enterprising BigLaw partners in Hong Kong have sought to provide their clients – and themselves – an alternative: the boutique law firm. While some firms are evolving through the streamlining of management, operating practices and more clearly defining their strategies, most will continue to struggle to find their balance.