“Offshoring legal work to India could transform how lawyers’ services are bought and sold in North America.” That is the premise explored in a new and useful article in the National, the journal of the Canadian Bar Association.
In Over the Horizon (June 2006, PDF, p. 22), author Julie Stauffer reviews and analyzes the current state and future potential of offshoring in the legal market. The article is a good overview of the state of the market.
I was particularly intrigued by one tidbit: “One group of Indian IP lawyers has combed the patent portfolios of North American companies and pointed out technical flaws, offering to correct them at no charge to introduce their services. How many North American law firms make that kind of effort?” Indeed! I would say these Indian lawyers are way ahead of most US and Canadian law firms on how to sell their services. Marketing departments, watch out!
Note: see my prior post on churn among legal market offshore providers.