Strategic Legal Technology

With all the legal process outsourcing (LPO) news last week, law firms should consider their LPO strategy, including if they need to have one. 

My post last week, LPO Update: Microsoft, Rio Tinto, New LPO Ethics Article, Deals, reviewed recent LPO developments: Microsoft announced legal outsourcing, Leah Cooper of Rio Tinto moved to CPA Global, a new ethics articles was published, and two LPOs announced big deals.

With all the news about LPO, do US and UK law firms need a strategy or position on legal outsourcing? That’s the question I address in my 20 Feb 2010 article, Law Firms Now Outsourcers?, at LLRX.com. I examine a recent outsourcing announcement by Eversheds and a recent LPO article by Mayer Brown lawyers.

I conclude that “clients want lower legal costs and it’s clear that shifting work location and improving processes achieve that result…. Clients should be happy that they have a choice of providers.” In my view, that means firms should at least be receptive to working with legal outsourcers. I think US and UK firms are still working on their LPO strategies - or at least clients should hope so.