Legal Process Outsourcing Trends - 2010

Everyone speaks about the LPO trends,projectionsby the Bombay High court, there is a pressure from
and predictions for 2010. According to Value notesUS and UK to open up the Indian legal market. There
outsourcing research organization, 20% of the LPOare many questions being asked to the Indian legal
have withdrawn from the industry in the last twofraternity that if the Indian lawyers can practice foreign
years [1]. According to the 2010 LPO predictions bylaw being in India why the foreign law firms cannot
Integreon, the biggest LPOs will reach 500+lawyerspractice their own law having offices in India. However,
working on document review, contract management,opening up the legal market for the foreign country
and due diligence projects and some smaller providersshall depend on the reciprocal basis. We need to look
will exit the market altogether [2].at the respect given for Indian law firms and lawyers
Chicago based independent legal process outsourcingpracticing in that country and the procedure involved in
advisory firm Fronterion states that leading LPOthat and on the same basis India can open up its Legal
location,India will face competition from emergingmarket.
nations like South Africa and the Philippines [3]. It alsoAs to the competition by other countries are
maintains that the India is currently the leadingconcerned, there are about 22,000 attorneys in South
geography for legal outsourcing with over 85 per centAfrica, about7,000 Lawyers in Sri Lanka and about
of offshore legal outsourcing [4].40,000 lawyers in Philippines. Out of these numbers of
Frankly speaking, India has not achieved a growth aslawyers, only few are into the legal outsourcing sector.
expected, but there are still hopes for the growth ofThey are mainly offering legal transcription services as
LPO in the country. As I said in my earlier blog thepart of BPO services or as part of their law firm
success of LPO depends on the quality of service weservices in that country. Since India has a large number
provide to the client and the client we work for. Size ofof talented lawyers, India would retain more than 85%
the LPO does not matter. Even small LPO make hugeof the legal outsourcing work worldwide and the work
revenue by doing legal research and corporate serviceon electronic discovery will increase two fold as the
work which may be equal to the revenue generatedforeign companies require an early assessment of the
by the larger LPO's doing paralegal services.cases for their higher chances of winning and
Although the liberalization of the legal industry in thedefending the cases.
country is on hold due to the recent judgment passed