Hershey Builds Up Legal Ops Function with Axiom, Unwraps Major Savings

Challenge

The Hershey Company, a renowned American brand, seeks to modernize its legal function. With budget a key company priority, legal needs to maximize every dollar and re-evaluate outside spend. With no shortage of ongoing work, they look externally for someone with the legal ops chops to benchmark their law firm spend and optimize the budget.

Approach

Axiom installs a legal operations specialist to thoroughly review Hershey’s law firm panel spend. The Axiom resource evaluates the work quality and pricing of each firm to streamline their list of approved providers. After eight months of support, the client brings her on permanently as their first legal ops hire. Upon conversion, she develops a Request for Proposal (RFP) to secure a strategic partner with an array of flexible and cost-effective support options. Evaluating for pricing, current projects, fee arrangements, and quality, the company settles on Axiom as their go-to alternative legal services provider.

Impact 

• Streamlined law firm panel to optimize for cost cost-effective and efficient Axiom support in key areas like real estate, SEC compliance, privacy, intellectual property, and international contracts.
• Reduced outside legal budget spend by 15% as a result of the RFP and subsequent rate negotiations.
• Axiom legal operations professional converted permanently to lead the Hershey legal operations function after establishing successful foundation during her Axiom “test-run”.