From project management to offshoring and “near-shoring” administrative and IT functions, more law firms are adopting techniques that their clients embraced long ago. But change is coming slowly and is still meeting resistance from partners, according to a new report.
The report, “Re-engineering Legal Services,” by Jomati Consultants LLP, a U.K.-based legal business consultancy, is based on in-depth interviews with leaders and top administrative staff at 30 large U.K. and U.S. firms. All of the firms have experimented with new work practices in the attempt to become more competitive. Some are bringing in a project management tier, some are creating in-house contract attorney capabilities, and others are opening new centralized back offices in lower-cost locations.
