Managing Partner reports in Out of sight? (by Richard Brent, September 10, 2009) that a growing number of law firms now offer alternative service models to deliver more “value” for their clients, most of whom face huge budget pressure. Legal process outsourcing, once viewed skeptically by many firms, is now receiving a fresh look as a competitive “differentiator” because the potential efficiencies are an important option for increasing value. The providers report savings ranging from 20 percent to as much as 50 percent over traditional service models. The article describes recent law firm LPO experiences. Examples include Osborne Clarke and Clifford Chance, both of whom the article reports worked with Integreon for their outsourcing needs. Another outsourcing option the article discusses is IT, including cloud computing, datacentre hosting, and IT helpdesk support.
Perhaps best capturing the shift in law firm mentality towards outsourcing is a quote from OC’s Managing Partner, Simon Beswick: “The aim is to ensure the delivery of a competitive, high quality and flexible service for clients. Our clients exist in a tough commercial environment and expect their lawyers to be as focused and cost efficient as they are.”
This is one of the more in-depth discussions we’ve seen about legal outsourcing.