Legal outsourcing refers to the practice of a law firm obtaining legal support services from an outside law firm or legal support services company. When the outsourced entity is based in another country the practice is sometimes called Offshoring.
Legal Outsourcing has gained tremendous ground in the past few years in the United States. Legal Outsourcing companies, primarily from India, have had success by providing services such as document review, legal research and writing, drafting of pleadings and briefs and providing patent services.
In-house law departments of major multinational corporations outsource some of their work in order to save costs. While it will not be prudent to list those firms here for confidential reasons it is expected that as they move to save costs they will outsource more work.
Initially, the Asian subcontinent were targets for different types of outsourcing with the legal field gaining traction. However, in recent years the so called "near shore", "back-door" "specialized legal firms" have sprung up to satisfy law firms and corporations that demand quality and confidentiality.
Advantages
Most firms and corporations outsource primarily for cost saving measures and this is considered the biggest advantage for legal outsourcing. While an attorney in major legal markets such as the US charge at minimum 250 dollars for work, countries that are offering legal outsourcing may charge a fraction of this. Some countries, especially in the sub-continent have gained prominence due to the fact that some of their attorneys with higher degrees work at meager salaries. This has attracted major corporations to outsource some minor and less sensitive work in their legal departments. Another advantage is turnaround time.Fact|date=September 2008
Criticism
One of the major concerns with legal outsourcing is the potential for breach of clients confidentiality. Another concern is that the people performing legal work in different countries are not bound by the same ethical standards attorneys are subject to at home. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1727726,00.html?imw=Y Call My Lawyer ... in India - TIME ] ]
However, there were ethics opinions from various state Bar Associations (New York [ [http://www.abcny.org/Ethics/eth2006.htm New York Bar Association Opinion] ] San Diego [ [http://www.sdcba.org/ethics/ethicsopinion07-1.htm San Diego Bar Association Opinion] ] ) and recently, the American Bar Association [ [http://www.abanet.org/litigation/litigationnews/2007/july/0707_article_outsourcing.html ABA Ethics Opinions Allow Foreign Legal Outsourcing] ] that lay down the framework for ethical legal outsourcing.]References
ee also
*Outsourcing
*Outsource
*Offshoring
External links
Articles
* [http://www.sourcingmag.com/content/c060918a.asp Legal Process Outsourcing of First Level Document Review]
* [http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/04/21/story7.html?b=1208750400%5E1621663&surround=etf= (Bluecurrent vs. Dell) LPO firm assists in large IP litigation matter]
* [http://release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=B3na0VfWGT-7H_YGi23MAdr9daRPaOyQ&Token=-WTFURUpYdzZad2tIZ1JtUWh1NWJQaGNK-Ui9qa1FuckpMZ0FwcWdwdjVnWHgwNE83-REJ6YWJnPT0= CNBC Features Pangea3 in "On The Money" Segment]
* [http://money.cnn.com/2004/10/14/news/economy/lawyer_outsourcing/?cnn=yes Outsourcing the lawyers by Krysten Crawford (CNNMoney.com)]
* [http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/may/18bpo.htm Legal outsourcing makes its case by Nandini Laxman (rediff.com)]
* [http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/May-June-2005/scene_brook_mayjun05.msp Are your lawyers in New York or New Delhi? by Daniel Brook (legalaffairs.org)]
* [http://www.sddglobal.com/kpo_the_next_big_thing.htm KPO - The Next Big Thing (SDD Global Solutions)]
* [http://www.hindu.com/edu/2007/11/26/stories/2007112650610300.htm It's India for Legal Services by Abdul Latheef Naha (The Hindu, November 26, 2007)]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051002355.html U.S. Legal Work Booms in India by Rama Lakshmi (Washington Post, May 11, 2008)]
* [http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=328222 Sub-prime Swells Coffers of Indian LPOs by Bhibhu Ranjan Mishra (Business Standard, July 9, 2008)]
News
* [http://in.news.yahoo.com/061029/43/68ufu.html World's largest law firm to outsource to India by IANS (news.yahoo)]
* [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2118489.cms At Mysore We are Running a US Law Firm by Shelley Singh (Economic Times)]
* [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/06/16/stories/2007061603480400.htm U.S. corporates outsource legal work to India by Anjali Prayag (The Hindu Business Line)]
* [http://www.lexpert.ca/globe/article.php?id=1109 New York Firm Takes On India... "Very Nice!" by Heather Greenwood Davis (The Globe and Mail -- Lexpert Magazine)]
* [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Infotech/ITeS/LPOs_to_add_more_punch_to_India_action/articleshow/2145677.cms LPOs add more punch to India action by Sushmita Mohapatra & P P Thimmaya (The Economic Times)]
* [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007070350050400.htm&date=2007/07/03/&prd=edu& Now, for some LPO action by Sachin Malhan (The Hindu)]
* [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200709062177.htm Legal Service for Hollywood Movies from Mysore by D. Murali and Goutam Ghosh (The Hindu)]
* [http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709062075.htm Three Myths About Legal Services Offshoring by D. Murali and Goutam Ghosh (The Hindu)]
* [http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/sep/04inter.htm India is the Best in Legal Offshoring by Shobha Warrier (rediff news)]
