MoFo Law Firm Launches iPhone App - Mistake?

This morning, I was reading about Morrison & Foester's launch of their free iPhone app, the first to be developed by a corporate law firm.  Reviews on this article in The Lawyer seem to be mixed - some think it was an expensive mistake, while others commented that they would be interested in it.  The app, which will have four function areas, will allow users to search MoFo attorney bios, read firm news, find information on the firm's offices and nearby attractions, and even includes a maze game.

What are your thoughts on this?  My initial question was whether they'd interviewed their clients to find out what would be of use to them in an application.  The article says that the app came about after "noticing that the lawyers at the firm used their phones and handheld devices as 'portable offices.'" but doesn't make mention of finding out why their clients would want to use it.  I can see how it would be useful for clients to be able to search attorney bios on the go and perhaps easily locate the firm's address and contact information, but how can the firm make their app relevant to their clients on a longterm basis?

Are any of your firms working on deploying iPhone applications?  Do you think they have any value for clients aside from making a firm appear cutting edge?

Is the Billable Hour on its way out?

Last week, I read a post commenting on the "End of the Billable Hour," which has become a hotter topic in the legal industry in the current economic situation and in light of Evan R. Chesler's comments in the New York Times. In his post, Tim Marman discusses the idea that the billable hour "rewards inefficiency" and says that he hopes the trend towards flat rate billing will continue. With the current climate and initiatives like the Association of Corporate Counsel's Value Challenge, it seems reasonable that the conversations about this will only continue.

While I agree with Tim's comments, I don't believe flat rates can be arranged for anything other than commodity work, and there are other alternative fee arrangements that can and should be made. During a webinar arranged for our members last Wednesday, Jim Hassett of LegalBizDev mentioned a few besides flat rate billing, including negotiated rates and hybrids, such as hourly rates plus success fees, capped fees with a safety valve, and value-adjusted hourly billing. It seems that it might be easier for mid-size and smaller firms to adjust to offering these types of arrangements than it will be for Big Law.