Compilation of Players in LPO

Prism Legal has a good compilation of corporations using Legal Outsourcing and some of the vendors providing them.

As with this list, I often feel the authors based abroad lack a feel of the real situation on the grounds...

NYC Bar Ethics Opinion on Legal Services Outsourcing

The opinion is available here. The important snippets are:

[US] lawyers must
(a) provide vigorous supervision to ensure competent representation and to avoid aiding in the unauthorized practice of law;
(b) preserve client confidences and secrets;
(c) inquire into possible conflicts of interest;
(d) bill clients appropriately; and
(e) obtain the necessary client advance consent.

So, do it if you must, but tell all concerned and for God's sake - review!

WNS Interest in LPO

DNA Moner has an article on WNS interest (sounds bullish) on LPO ("legal services"). Interestingly they seem to be one of the few players who has operations outside India:

Riding high on the legal process outsourcing wave, WNS has started legal services in Sri Lanka about eight months back and now has over 30 lawyers there. It has also scaled up the existing Pune operations, with more than 80 lawyers to handle the legal services.

Brown-Wilson's 2006 Survey of Outsourcing Vendors

Among the LPO players, Integron 1st, Pangea3 2nd and Office Tiger 3rd! Here's the link to Integron's press release.

Hmm, would need some digging...

Harvard Law Inside LPO Kitchen

Harvard Law Bulletin carries this piece about the journey of two 3L students into the still young Indian LPO Industry.

They quote familiar numbers and concerns - the chief among them being the thin line of Ethics. As lawyers-to-be, they would know, there are always ways around!

Good read.

Indian Lawyers Fear Competition!

These aren't essentially my words! This article in The Telegraph is about the third one I have seen which talks about the opposition from Bar Council of India and other bodies of Indian lawyers opposing the entry of law firms in India.

The 'militant' nature of the lobby is such that they filed a case against a Nigerian trying to practice law. Ironically, the same lobby (of lawyers!) exhibits concern over an archaic law that prohibits law firms from advertising (including using websites) and having more than 20 partners in a firm. If lawyers can't gather to plea to have a law changed, I wonder who can.

The shallowness of the arguments they make (to prohibit foreign law firms from entering India) don't end here.

“If these rules are not amended, we will be no match for the foreign firms with their financial clout, extensive websites and unlimited number of partners,” points out Bhasin

Isn't this like saying we should prevent the rich Coca-Cola from entering because the Campa-Colas can't compete?

Let the customer decide!