By Rob Mattern
This article was originally published in Law Journal Newsletter on October 1, 2021
Law firms are at a crossroads triggered by the transformational impact of the pandemic, and wondering whether the mandate for change will continue or shrink back to pre-2020 operations. For most firms, the answer is to continue on the road for change, including reengineering the delivery of legal services.
2020 was a lesson in forced change management. Today, law firms are at a crossroads triggered by the transformational impact of the pandemic, and wondering whether the mandate for change will continue or shrink back to pre-2020 operations. For most firms, the answer is to continue on the road for change, including reengineering the delivery of legal services while also reaching a new level of outsourcing as a tool to support a new, strategic vision.
Historically, outsourcing has come with a negative connotation because it seemed a stand-in term for ‘reducing headcount.’ However, outsourcing has come to mean more than saving costs by reducing headcount, and in fact the pandemic has accelerated many of the positive attributes of what a good outsourcing partnership and agreement can bring, including: operational flexibility, increased expertise, better leverage of technology for productivity and improved workflow.
Still, it is difficult to achieve a successful outcome when a firm chooses to outsource. One industry statistic notably shows that only 37.1% of outsourced engagements result in a substantial improvement in outsourced non-lawyer services. See, 2020 Altman Weil Law Firms in Transition.
There is a way to outsource well, especially now in a post-COVID market. Let’s take a close look at a few key areas, what has changed, and how we can do better. But first, let’s take a step back and ask, why outsource at all?
To view the article on American Lawyer, click here.