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1. Where did the term, “LPO,” come from?
The term, "LPO," for "legal process outsourcing" (which also stands for lipid per oxidation and the London Philharmonic Orchestra), is apparently a media invention, first appearing in 2005. It derives from BPO, or business process outsourcing. But to the extent that the word, "process," suggests standardized, commoditized, easy-to-replicate tasks that can be performed without a lot of education, much less professional training, it is a misnomer for the legal outsourcing or legal services KPO (knowledge process outsourcing) industry. Typing a medical transcription, or answering calls based on a script, is a "process." On the other hand, legal research, legal analysis, or drafting complaints, contracts, patent applications, or legal briefs, is not a BPO-like, commoditized "process." Those are legal services, even if they do not amount to "practicing law," which can only be done by the supervising, licensed attorney (often in-house corporate counsel) who reviews the services that so-called LPO companies provide.
That is why many in this industry do not refer to themselves as "LPO" companies. One company uses the phrase, a "provider of global legal and patent outsourced services." Another refers to itself as a "premium legal services company." Others refer to their "Legal Knowledge Services" or "Offshore Legal Services." Still another has adopted the label of "legal services organization."
Yet another potential misnomer is "outsourcing." There is nothing new or controversial about outsourcing legal services. Every law firm in the U.S. and the U.K. is a legal outsourcing company. Their corporate clients have routinely outsourced legal services work to outside counsel for hundreds of years. If there were no outsourcing, there would be no law firms. What is new is not legal outsourcing, but the sending of outsourced legal work offshore. What is new is the creation of a worldwide legal landscape, where offices and employees will be located in places determined by the actual needs of clients, rather than the habits of law firms that do not wish to change.
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Today's blog highlight is about how the burden of discovery abuse is leading to calls for reform, not only in the U.S., but in other countries as well.
Will Discovery Reform Derail Legal Process Outsourcing?
The Australian Law Reform Commission has issued plans to save millions of dollars in civil litigation. However, even the strongest reforms in the U.S. or abroad cannot reduce the greater share of litigation tax. But legal process outsourcing (LPO) can help to ease the burden.
[To read the entire blog post, click the hyper-linked headline above.]
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2. Does offshore legal process outsourcing mean a compromise in quality?
No. The offshore legal process outsourcing (LPO or KPO - knowledge process outsourcing) services we provide compare favorably with much of what attorneys produce at top-tier law firms in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It is far beyond typical "legal process outsourcing" work. Our legal outsourcing services are managed on-site by a respected American law firm, and supervised by a team of U.S.-licensed attorneys and UK professionals who have been practicing at the top of their fields. This gives our Western legal outsourcing clients both quality assurance and accountability. Moreover, when corporations, law firms, and individuals outsource legal services to SDD Global, the work is done by top law graduates and experienced lawyers and/or former law professors from outstanding legal outsourcing companies, law firms and law schools. In fact, we hire only one out of every 900 job applicants. And again, those LPO / legal KPO recruits in turn are trained and supervised by respected Western attorneys. Because of the close involvement of Western attorneys in our legal process outsourcing model, our clients need not be concerned that their contact will be limited to foreign employees on the other end of the earth.
3. Is offshore legal process outsourcing / LPO allowed by U.S. ethical rules?
Yes. At least six ethics panels in the U.S. already have addressed the issue, and all have ruled in favor of off-shore legal outsourcing, or legal process outsourcing ( LPO / legal KPO ). These include the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which issued Ethics Opinion 08-451, which states that (a) "U.S. lawyers are free to outsource legal work, including to lawyers or non-lawyers outside the country, if they adhere to [various] ethics rules," and (b) legal outsourcing is "a salutary trend in a global economy." As The New York Times reported, " 'there is no problem with off-shoring,' said Stephen Gillers, a professor at NYU School of Law and a legal ethics expert, 'because even though the [offshore] lawyer is not authorized by an American state to practice law, the review by American lawyers sanitizes the process.'"
4. In what locations does SDD Global provide legal outsourcing services?
We provide legal outsourcing / legal process outsourcing / LPO / legal KPO services for companies and law firms in nearly all states and major cities in the United States, as well as in major cities of the United Kingdom and Canada. See the presentations listed below for more information on our work for clients in the following locations: Los Angeles, California; Manhattan, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Delaware City, Delaware; Wilmington, Delaware; Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; Dallas, Texas; San Diego, California; San Jose, California; Detroit, Michigan; San Francisco, California; Miami, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; El Paso, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; Nashville, Tennessee; Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia); Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Louisville, Kentucky; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Tucson, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kansas City, Missouri; Fresno, California; Sacramento, California; Long Beach, California; Asheville, North Carolina; West Hollywood, California; Boulder, Colorado; London, England; Bristol, England; Manchester, England; Norwich, England; Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Legal Outsourcing in California Helps Hollywood Win Cases
New York Takes Lead in Legal Process Outsourcing
Legal Process Outsourcing Makes a Difference in Illinois
Delaware Companies Take Advantage of Legal Outsourcing
Legal Process Outsourcing Makes a Mark in Texas
Michigan Economy Aided by LPO and Legal KPO
Florida Law Firms Take Advantage of Legal Process Outsourcing
Ohio Companies Stay Afloat by Outsourcing Legal Work
Nevada Legal Work Less Costly, Due to Legal Outsourcing
Legal Process Outsourcing Helps Oregon Companies
Kentucky Benefits from Legal Outsourcing / LPO
Legal Process Outsourcing Has Positive Impact in Missouri
Colorado Law Firms and Companies Aided by Legal Outsourcing
Legal Outsourcing / LPO Makes a Difference in Maryland
Washington State Takes Advantage of Legal Outsourcing
Legal Process Outsourcing Takes Hold in Washington D.C.
North Carolina Businesses Benefit from Legal Outsourcing
Pennsylvania Takes Advantage of Legal Process Outsourcing
Offshore Legal Outsourcing in Demand in Massachusetts
Arizona Law Firms and Businesses Profit from Legal Outsourcing
Offshore Legal Outsourcing on the Upswing in Georgia
New Mexico Attorneys and Companies Turn to Offshore Legal Outsourcing
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