PANGEA3 LLC

There is a lot of information on the internet and in the media about how to get started with legal outsourcing but there are very few resources available that discuss common mistakes when considering legal outsourcing. A new whitepaper by Vantage Partners hopes to provide law firms with guidance about what not to do with regards to LPO. Here are the key takeaways from the paper:

1. Understand why your clients want to outsource. Understand your clients pain points and show how you can assist them and provide value.

2. Burying your head in the sand is the quick way to get trampled. No one disputes that strategic legal work and bet the company matters are the exclusive purview of experienced outside counsel. But can the same be said for low–to–mid complexity work, particularly repetitive matters? Clients aren’t buying that everything needs to be handled by a partner or a law firm associate anymore.

3. Collaborate don’t be coerced - If your client needs to twist your arm to choose an LPO provider then you have already lost any credit for responsiveness and providing value to your client.

4. LPO should be a strategic decision. LPO should complement your strategy in the industry and you should select a provider that is equipped to handle your client’s documents.

5. Captive isn’t the only answer. Some law firms want to build their own offshore captive but this isn’t the only way firms can outsource. There are other options available, such as using a trusted LPO solutions provider, that don’t require a large capital investment.

6. Change is never easy. Now that you’ve decided to outsource, whether to a third party or your own captive, you need to be aware of change management challenges. Change is hard, particularly if it involves shifting processes, so anticipating and resolving challenges earlier will increase your success.

With a steady rise in the volume of off-shore and on-shore outsourcing initiatives in contract services and legal services, it is imperative that organizations understand both the opportunities and the internal impacts of outsourcing legal services including the re-allocation of tasks and resources. For example, how does an organization take advantage of freed-up staff? To what extent can an organization rely on helpdesk consolidation for improving business information and streamlining processes? What are the key trends in outsourcing contracts?

As a leading provider of legal and contract management outsourcing services, Pangea3 is pleased to answer a broad array of questions on outsourcing contracts in an exclusive interview with the International Association for Contracts and Commercial Management (IACCM) on March 11, 2010. Current IACCM members are welcome to participate in an engaging interview session with our Vice President and General Counsel, Kevin Colangelo, Esq. The session will address the internal impacts and opportunities arising from outsourcing contract and legal services in today’s economy including:

• Contract management as a core compliance function.
• LPO as a tool for the implementation of process-driven contracting within legal and procurement.
• Helpdesk consolidation to improve business information and streamline processes.

Click here for additional event details and feel free to write to us at info@pangea3.com with any questions pertaining to contract outsourcing.