I work with three different law firms in the Netherlands and one in Michigan (each with their own specialisms) and my experiences are completely the opposite of the 10 points you describe in your post. Our company is a bootstrapped software startup, so a lot of what's being said here applies to us as well.<p>I get clear answers, all of our lawyers are up-front about their billable hours, and most importantly, understand that we ultimately decide, they're hired to provide expertise and to help us understand what kind of risks we're taking and what our options are.<p>Maybe I'm just lucky, but I think the real problem is that many startup founders consider dealing with lawyers and legal stuff in general a chore and a hassle. Something to get out of the way as quickly as possible.<p>If however, you find the right person for the job – ask around for references – and take an interest in the work you do with them, it doesn't have to be that way. A new kind of law firm, as you call it, or simply a good law firm, as I call it, already exists. In my experience there are actually quite a few out there, you just have to take an effort to find and evaluate them.