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How to leverage the CSIA Legal Plan

By Mark Voigtmann posted 06-01-2016 15:56

  
The CSIA Legal Plan, in which all CSIA members are automatically enrolled as a benefit of membership, presents a bundle of free and discounted legal services oriented to the special needs of integrators. But how does one use it? The challenge for each CSIA Member is to determine the optimum leveraging of the Plan at the lowest cost. Here are some tips:

Use the freebies and near-freebies. This is an obvious no-brainer. All CSIA members are entitled to have their standard company contract/terms and conditions reviewed and updated in English either free of charge or at a significant discount. See www.faegrebd.com/csialegalplan for more information.

Set the balance. Beyond the freebies, each CSIA member can leverage the CSIA Legal Plan by answering the following questions:  
  • Does your company review and understand (on its own) every contract it signs? If so, there is no need for the CSIA Legal Plan until problems arise.
  • Are there particular contract issues that test your company? If so, the low per-review flat fees of the CSIA Legal Plan may make economic sense.
  • Does your company minimize its legal expense with an accept-or-reject approach to contracts? If so, the CSIA Legal Plan offers a quick turnaround basic risk assessment, either on a per-transaction or pre-paid annualized basis, that provides the information needed for making these decisions in an educated way. 
  • Does your company negotiate terms? If so, it may make sense to leverage the discounted rates of the CSIA Legal Plan for problematic negotiations.
  • Does your company want a year off from negotiation uncertainty? If so, the CSIA Legal Plan will take over all of your company’s marking up for a flat annual fee.  
Complete information about the Plan and its terms can be obtained by phone (+1 844-204-0090), email or through the Plan website. 

Mark Voigtmann and his firm Faegre Baker Daniels are counsel to the CSIA. Mark is the author of The Automation Legal Reference, a Guide to Legal Risk in the Automation, Robotic and Process Industries. Mark can be reached at Mark.Voigtmann@faegrebd.com or 317-237-1265.

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