Outsourcing Legal Work Could Reach Our Shores

LawFuel - The Law Jobs and News Wire

One of the world's largest firms is eyeing this part of the world to outsource work.

The recession has created further advances in moves by large law firms to outsource their work, with not just India in their sights, but also South Africa and Australia, athough New Zealand could also be in its sights for outsourced legal work.

The latest moves come from 2000-person firm Simmons and Simmons who voted this week to use external lawyers for litigation or corporate due diligence work.

S&S operates from 20 offices worldwide, ranging from Abu Dhabi to Europe, Japan and the United States.

What is different about the S&S move is that unlike firms like Clifford Chance and Lovells who have outsourced paralegal and other duties to India and elsewhere, Simmons are looking at using qualified lawyers to handle their outsourced work.

Managing partner Mark Dawkins has pinned the firm’s new three-year strategy on maximising efficiency, he told The Lawyer magazine.

“We of ways new want to be at the forefront of delivering value through ¬working at the top end of the market,” he said. “We’re not going to defend a business model that clients don’t want to have to pay for.”

Dawkins confirmed he had spoken to several outsourcing agencies, but said the outline proposal did not include details of potential job cuts.

A number of legal outsourcing companies have sprung up to meet increased demand, including Exigent, Integreon and Office Tiger.

ENDS

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