Legal industry guru Richard Susskind published an article in the Times (UK) yesterday revealing that 10 of the UK’s top 30 firms now outsource to Indian LPO’s. The article entitled..
Turning to India at break-neck speed talks about the rapid growth of legal services in India over the past 18 months
Susskind introduces his piece by saying:
The need to cut costs has led many law firms to outsource back office and administrative tasks. Legal work could follow
Richard Susskind
Ten of England’s top 30 law firms have outsourced back office functions or legal work to India, according to new research from RSG Consulting.
The RSG India Report 2008 is a definitive 200-page analysis of the current legal market in India. Beyond the subject of outsourcing, it also shows that this market is evolving at break-neck speed.
India now has its own “magic circle” of leading law firms with senior corporate lawyers earning incomes comparable with those of partners in medium to large-sized London firms. But, as the study notes, there is a dearth of experience and attrition rates are high.
RSG also emphasises the increasing purchasing power of general counsel in Indian companies, most of whom favour liberalisation of the legal market — unlike the Bar Council of India and many of the top law firms. Only 40 per cent of the latter actively support liberalisation.
While the politics of the Indian legal profession are interesting, the growth of the Indian legal process outsourcing (LPO) industry raises more fundamental long-term issues.
The report notes that, since the start of this year, there has been a dramatic shift in attitude towards outsourcing among top English firms, with initial resistance weakening considerably
Read Susskind’s full article at http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article5320583.ece
The Wall St Journal’s LiveMint.com is also carrying the story
http://www.livemint.com/2008/12/11174138/Top-British-law-firms-outsourc.html
