In my role as Client Manager for Global BPO I’m constantly talking to prospective clients about the benefits of partnering with a company such as ours to provide bespoke process services. For law firms undertaking litigation work, the most significant process they need to manage is probably disclosure. I therefore thought I would share my top reasons why law firms should consider partnering with a third-party provider to assist with such work.
- The growing “data mountain”: The amount of data which needs to be reviewed for litigation has increased vastly thanks to the ubiquity of email and other electronic communications. Even in less complex cases, the final document count can run into tens of thousands meaning traditional methods of document review are no longer viable.
- Untenable costs: Given this data explosion, it’s not hard to understand why disclosure is often the most expensive part of the litigation process – accounting for perhaps 60-85% of the budget. Even for the winning party, there is no guarantee all costs will be recoverable and no client, however large, wants to blow the budget in these cost-conscious times. A law firm which shows it understands these pressures and is delivering solutions to address them will cement its client relationship and grow goodwill.
- Staff well-being: The human cost of the data mountain is also considerable, placing huge pressure on legal teams to complete document reviews to a high standard (“whatever we do we mustn’t miss the needle in the haystack which might win us the case”) within exacting timetables required by the Court. Relieving permanent staff of this pressure by bringing in dedicated review teams means they can focus on other important aspects of the case
- Specialist Technology: There are many types of proprietary and non-proprietary document review software out there and at Global BPO we can make recommendations for best fit solutions. The technology works to reduce the dataset by de-duplication, de-threading and keyword searches. This makes the review manageable and increases efficiency by saving many hours of review time.
- Flexibility: Requirements can change quickly as litigation plays out, a service provider can scale capabilities up or down to meet evolving needs without the law firm needing to be troubled by resourcing or personnel issues.
- Cost savings are significant: At Global BPO we estimate that law firms who are currently doing eDisclosure in-house can save around 50% by engaging with us. It’s a win-win for firms who can enhance profitability while demonstrating that they are responding to their clients’ cost sensitivities.
How does it work?
When I talk to law firms about how we can help them with eDisclosure, I’m always keen to stress that this isn’t “outsourcing”, it’s a partnership in which our skilled teams work hand in hand with our client law firms. The client will provide guidance on exactly what they need and the strategy to be followed, as well as the expectations around quality and efficiency. In future posts, I’ll describe in more detail how our partnerships with our clients work in practice.
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