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The Offshore wave Crashes on home shores
In light of the recent shift, from organisations outsourcing and offshoring business processes (BPO) to take advantage of the lower cost of labour in developing countries, towards more knowledge-based services (KPO) that sit far closer to the core business, Vijay Rangineni, CEO of Mahindra Satyam BPO explains why organisations need both BPO and KPO to address the current challenges of the global economic slump.

(Author: Vijay Rangineni, CEO, Mahindra Satyam BPO) Download Articles

Posted Month: October 2009
 

The Challenges of Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO):
Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) refers to any processes or steps of work that are performed out of a country to a third party that supports the delivery of legal services. These processes or steps may range from simple steps to a highly complex delivery models. As the modern society gets more complex with modern regulations, the requirements of such services may originate from law firms, corporate, individuals, Independent Attorneys or even Government Sector. One estimate puts the market of LPO currently to be USD 250 million to grow to USD 640 million by the end of 2010 and further annual growth of USD 146 million per annum. And it seems highly predictable that majority of the share will be captured by India, having population that is generally good in English with significant costs differential as well.

(Author: Jotwani Associates) Download Articles

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Polls Predict Legal Outsourcing Growth:
Two recent surveys, emerging from both sides of the Atlantic, have forecast a positive outlook for the legal process outsourcing (LPO) sector over the coming years. The first, conducted through US-based website Legal OnRamp a social network for corporate lawyers took in replies to 35 questions by 84 people who worked for large companies with $1 billion or more of annual revenue. Meanwhile, the second launched by the UK Law Society took in 52 responses from law department heads at several FTSE 250 companies, plus a range of other businesses engaged in IT, retail and manufacturing.

(Author: Unknown) Download Articles

Posted Month: September 2009

The Challenges of Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO):
Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) refers to any processes or steps of work that are performed out of a country to a third party that supports the delivery of legal services. These processes or steps may range from simple steps to a highly complex delivery models. As the modern society gets more complex with modern regulations, the requirements of such services may originate from law firms, corporate, individuals, Independent Attorneys or even Government Sector. One estimate puts the market of LPO currently to be USD 250 million to grow to USD 640 million by the end of 2010 and further annual growth of USD 146 million per annum. And it seems highly predictable that majority of the share will be captured by India, having population that is generally good in English with significant costs differential as well.

(Author: Harpreet Oberoi) Download Articles

Posted Month: September 2009

A Gateway to Legal Outsourcing Learning:
The National Outsourcing Association (NOA) has predicted that education will be a critical factor in 2009 for ensuring that outsourcing professionals maintain quality and continuity in their industry. With the global recession taking hold, NOA director of professional training Yvonne Williams told IP Review Online that the UK trade group's outsourcing education scheme offers important benefits for the legal support services sector, including IP work and legal process outsourcing (LPO).

(Author: Unknown) Download Articles

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Long-term Legal Outsourcing the best Solution:
Legal outsourcing providers should focus on building long-term relationships with their clients if the sector is to prosper over the next five years, says Marks & Clerk partner Keith Hodkinson. Speaking to IP Review Online in the wake of Marks & Clerk's conversion to a limited liability partnership (LLP), Hodkinson chair of the specialist IP firm's International Board of Management also offered his thoughts on the benefits of LLP status, and the Indian LLP Act.

(Author: Unknown) Download Articles

Posted Month: September 2009

Legal Outsourcing Remains high on the Agenda:
Legal outsourcing is coming of age. Tougher economic conditions are bringing mounting pressure to reduce the price of legal services and one clear way of cutting costs is by allocating the work to cheaper suppliers. This is of particular interest to in-house lawyers who are working hard to reduce their expenditure on external law firms while streamlining their own departments.

(Author: Stephen Denyer) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009

New Technology key to Discovery in Legal Outsourcing:
Technological developments in e-discovery are vital for ensuring that legal process outsourcing (LPO) clients benefit from offshore arrangements, experts say.
According to Morgan Lewis & Bockius partner Stephanie Blair, labour arbitrage offered by LPO is only part of the equation that helps clients to draw value from the process; the labour element must be backed by strong searching technology for LPO relationships to be most effective. A cornerstone of the LPO business, e-discovery has become a crucial tool for assisting IP litigation.

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

What Needs to be Considered When Outsourcing Legal Services:
The attractions of legal outsourcing are immense both for in-house lawyers and those in private practice. Costs can be reduced and margins maintained in this manner. This is particularly relevant at a time when the legal profession is suffering as a result of the recession and the whole question of legal fees is coming under greater scrutiny.

(Author: Julian Goulding) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Lawyers can be Barrier to Outsourcing Success, Finds Survey:
Lawyers in outsourcing deals need to gain a better commercial understanding and produce more relevant contracts, the head of a contract managers' trade body has said.The International Association for Contract and Commercial Managers (IACCM) has published research claiming that nearly 60% of companies agreeing complicated outsourcing deals sometimes fail to complete the contracts underpinning the agreements. 

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009

ABA Blesses Legal Outsourcing in August Ethics Opinion:
The American Bar Association (ABA) recently issued an ethics opinion blessing and endorsing the outsourcing of legal services. The opinion was issued in August by the Ethics Committee of the ABA and has already had a ripple effect across the legal outsourcing industry and the legal industry in general.

(Author: David Perla) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

New Technology key to Discovery in Legal Outsourcing:
Technological developments in e-discovery are vital for ensuring that legal process outsourcing (LPO) clients benefit from offshore arrangements, experts say.
According to Morgan Lewis & Bockius partner Stephanie Blair, labour arbitrage offered by LPO is only part of the equation that helps clients to draw value from the process; the labour element must be backed by strong searching technology for LPO relationships to be most effective. A cornerstone of the LPO business, e-discovery has become a crucial tool for assisting IP litigation.

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Legal Outsourcing to rise as US Tightens Finance Laws:
Developments in US fiscal legislation could pave the way for increased use of outsourced legal services by the in-house teams of financial groups, the US National Law Journal has suggested. Long favoured by IP lawyers, who face ongoing challenges in document management, legal process outsourcing (LPO) has been cited as an effective means of tackling the potential rise in compliance work, if the US Administration’s proposed legislation for regulating over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives passes.

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Litigation Review Poses Opportunities for Legal Outsourcing:
A new report by a leading UK judge has hinted that strong opportunities could be on the horizon for legal process outsourcing (LPO) to lower costs for law firm clients. Prepared for the Master of the Rolls by the Court of Appeal's Lord Justice Rupert Jackson, the Civil Litigation Costs Review: Preliminary Report takes stock of research-in-progress that Jackson is conducting this year, during which time he is not sitting as a judge.

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

A Lesson Your Law Firm Can Learn from Apple:
An easy way to stay ahead of the competition is to look at other law firms in your area to see what they are doing, and then implement a better strategy. That?s actually basic marketing. However, to really be an innovator in your field, look around at other industries and see what you can learn from them. This week, let?s look at Apple. Everyone is familiar with the Apple culture of simplicity and clean design. When you walk past an Apple store, do you see big red letters that say, ?Computers and MP3 Players Here at the Apple Store?? No.

(Author: Robert Bell) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Law Firm views of Legal Outsourcing - The Survey and Report:
As we reported in May in Part 1 of our Trends series (click here), law firms and legal process outsourcing to India still has a long way to go, and law firms still appear unconvinced. And this is despite the Rio Tinto/CPA Legal tie-up (for insightful analysis on this subject from Rees Morrison click here and Jordon Furlong click [...]

(Author: Ron Friedmann) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Contract Research and Manufacturing Services- The Legal way Forward:
Declined R&D productivity due to increase in R&D costs, increased generic competition, blockbuster drugs going off-patent and fewer drug discoveries have increased pressure on the global pharmaceutical and biotech companies to protect their profit margins. In order to maintain their profitability, the global pharmaceutical and biotech companies have focused on outsourcing of activities like manufacturing of intermediates, API’s and development of software from low cost research countries like India and China.

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

IT, BPO and LPO Outsourcing to India: Ready for the Future:
In the recently held BPO Strategy Summit at Bangalore, the Indian IT and BPO industry has reported a positive outlook for the Indian outsourcing sector by stating it is set to expand and compete on a global level. Indian companies have devised a strategy by adapting to the world economic crisis by providing their services through onshore, offshore and near-shore delivery models. The strategy is bound to produce a global impact and transform Indian IT and BPO companies as dominant global players.

(Author: Unknown) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009

Nearshoring: Outsourcing to India Without the pain:
In recent years, three offshoring models have emerged – outsourcing to distant locations, homeshoring (that is, keeping the work at home) and nearshoring (a compromise solution) – with the later model increasingly offering a more competitive and attractive alternative to the other two offshoring models.

(Author: John U) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

Challenges for Indian Companies in the Financial Services KPO Business:
KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) implies outsourcing of knowledge intensive business processes that require specialized domain expertise. Unlike BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), which follows pre defined and structured processes that can be performed by virtually anybody, these processes demand advanced analytical and specialized skill of knowledge workers who have specific domain proficiency. Therefore, outsourcing of knowledge processes face more challenges than BPO.

(Author: Smita Bhattachary) Download Article

Posted Month: September 2009
 

LPO SECTOR -Grabbing the Opportunity:
Legal Process Outsourcing is indeed the buzzword in the outsourcing industry at present. At the same time it has managed to catch the attention of the youth on a lookout for a lucrative career to jet set on to a secure future. However, there still are certain ifs and buts, here and there - causing apprehensions in the minds of the professional / student fraternity, which acts as a deterrent keeping them at bay. The big question is - What is this activity known as Legal Processing all about? Moreover, what are the opportunities for the aspiring candidates?

(Author: KPO Consultants)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009
 

How and Why of Placements in the LPO Industry:
Legal services are the next destination for the Indian outsourcing industry. With the legal services industry in the US estimated to be $166 billion, employs approximately one million trained attorneys and 500,000 support personnel such as paralegals and legal assistant, the opportunity for offshoring to India is abound. According to a study by the US based Forrester Research, the current annual value of legal outsourcing, which is worth $80 million can rise up to $4 billion and can fetch around 80,000 jobs in India by 2015. KPO Consultants estimates that Indian LPOs can become around $20 billion industry in the next decade.

(Author: Pankaj Parnami, Founder Director, KPO Consultants)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

Upward Mobility in Economic Downturn Find Your Dream Job:
For job seekers, a down economy can be both a boom and a bother, depending on a number of factors including a candidate’s mobility, experience and--most importantly-- flexibility. On the plus side, experts agree that lawyers generally are immune to recessions. While one area may suffer, such as estate or real-estate law, other areas including divorce or bankruptcy will thrive, creating a balance in the profession.

(Author: Karen Dybis, Lumen Legal)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

Advanced KPO Model:
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in its formative period had been a “Low end BPO” in the sense that it was predominantly a volume based business connected to telemarketing activities or transcription based activity in medicine and law. This model evolved to a higher level making way for “Legal Process Outsourcing” which is a higher end business, involves contribution from professionals of higher skills and a new term “Knowledge Process Outsourcing” (KPO) came into existence. 

(Author: Dr. Chitra Savangikar, MSc, PhD, Registered Patent Agent)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

The "R" Word: Further Comments About Recession's Impact on LPO:
Recession is on everyone's mind, but the word everyone is trying to avoid saying. For starters, let's acknowledge what we all know: The U.S. economy is in very bad shape, and it's going to either get worse or stay this way for the rest of 2008, and perhaps much longer. The question on everyone's mind in the legal process outsourcing industry, and in the outsourcing industry in general, is whether this will have a positive or negative impact on 2008 for LPO and for other outsourcing players.  

(Author: David Parela, Co-CEO, Pangea3)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009
 

In Assisting the Innovator:
With a growing importance of technology in fostering globalization, Intellectual Property and especially patents are playing an even more prominent role. A robust patent system acts as a pointer to a country’s industrial development on acceptable international standards.  However, a preponderance of overly broad patents has led to an oxymoronic phenomenon described best as a “captive right,” on the one hand creating a fortress of claims, thereby warding off potential competitors.    

(Author: Komal Gupta, Head – Operations, Intrust Global eServices)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009
 

KPO 2.0: Harnessing Technology for Effective Collaboration:
Knowledge Process Outsourcing is growing rapidly in many areas such as the Legal Domain, Financial Research, Market Analytics, Retail Analytics, Document Processing, Training Material Development; new areas such as Architectural Services, and Animation. Invariably, the buyers of these services are in the U.S or Europe and the service providers in Asia - mainly India and other countries like the Philippines. The technology used for delivering these services has slowly evolved over a period of time.  

(Author: Nari Kannan, CEO, Ajira)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

KPO Vs BPO: The Difference Between K and B:
The gin of BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) has evolved and given birth to a child named KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing). But, is the child a mirror image of its mother or has it come with the some differences remains a subject of hot argument. Many experts believe the term KPO is just an acquisition of new name of the term BPO with letter K replacing B. While some view KPO as a refined extension of the term BPO that provides value to its clients through domain or subject expertise rather than just process expertise. So, what the real difference is needs to be evaluated.
     
(Author: Anshu Parnami, Associate Leader, KPOPlacements.com)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

LPO Express May Halt due to Lack of Talent Supply:
The LPO industry is still very nascent, but it has already seen a tremendous growth in a short period of time. According to the experts, the LPO industry is expected to experience exponential growth in the coming years. There are a number of positives in favor of India backing this growth. There are some considerable challenges as well. One of them is lesser interest of the young law graduates in the LPO industry which may deprive the LPO industry from gaining its estimated momentum.
     
(Author: Dhiraj Dev Phukan, Associate Leader, KPO Consultants) Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

The Business of Legal Outsourcing:
The last few years have witnessed tremendous growth in the legal outsourcing industry. The value proposition in outsourcing back-end support operations to an offshore vendor and allowing in house personnel to focus on core functions has been recognized and capitalized by multiple corporations and law firms the world over. More and more organizations are beginning to show interest and experiment with legal process outsourcing. Quick to cash in on this growing buzz are multiple outsourcing outfits being set up every day across various cities in India.
     
(Author: Ms. Savi Gupta,General Manager, Clairvolex, CS, LLB)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009
 

Simplifying Legal Documents: Need of the times:
Simple, effective and clear communication is the need of the hour in the age of globalization and the speed of the digital age. All forms of written and spoken communication should be as clear and effective as possible in order to facilitate the domestic and international trade agreements and cross-border financial commitments.
     
(Author: Rajeev Goswami, Director, Intellextra Outsourcing Solutions P Ltd, Noida, India)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

Outsourcing of Patent Related Services by Acumen Legal Services:
Outsourcing is an act of sending work from one organization to another (or) Outsourcing could be defined as the shifting or delegating a company's day to day operations or business process to an external service provider. Offshoring is a special subset of outsourcing, where the work is sent outside the U.S. The work is presumably sent to a country like India or Ireland, which has a fleet of skilled technologists with good English language skills and relatively low labor rates.
     
(Author: Acumen Legal Services, India)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

Outsourcing Industry in India: A Legal Perspective:
Outsourcing, by the dictionary, means sourcing from outside. The term refers to sub-contracting of a set of functions or processes by one firm to another. The latter organisation is often in another physical location, or in another country altogether. Outsourcing started as a business strategy enabling a firm to focus on core-competency areas and transferring some of the organization's non-core business activities to an outside service provider to achieve cost reductions while improving service quality at the same time.
     
(Author: Harsh Surana, Partner, Surana Law Offices)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009

Marriages in LPO Industry:
For job seekers, a down economy can be both a boom and a bother, depending on a number of factors including a candidate’s mobility, experience and--most importantly-- flexibility. On the plus side, experts agree that lawyers generally are immune to recessions. While one area may suffer, such as estate or real-estate law, other areas including divorce or bankruptcy will thrive, creating a balance in the profession.

(Author: Pankaj Parnami, Founder Director, KPO Consultants)  Download Article

Posted Month: August 2009