Monday, February 7, 2011

Stay on Top of LPO Regulation in 2011

After flying under the radar for several years, legal process outsourcing (LPO) has finally caught the attention of regulators around the globe. In the three main LPO markets – the United States, the United Kingdom and India – there is the potential for rule changes which could place outsourcing agreements under increased scrutiny or even have a material impact on the ability of law firms and companies to send legal work to external providers.

For example, Connecticut has introduced a bill designed to prevent law firms and corporations from offshoring the drafting, reviewing and analyzing of legal documents to workers overseas. Under the bill, proposed by Connecticut state representative Patricia Dillon, "unlicensed'' offshore workers who engage in these activities for clients in Connecticut could be charged with unauthorized practice of law. If the bill is passed, there is the risk that other US states may pass similar laws.

Fronterion’s January newsletter focuses on the changing regulatory landscape for legal outsourcing in 2011. To keep up to date on the changing ethical and regulatory environment in the coming year, sign up for our newsletter by emailing forefront@fronterion.com, visit the LPO Ethics Resource Center, and review our most recent press release.

Also, to learn more about legal outsourcing strategies, be sure to register for this new LPO conference scheduled for February 14-16, 2011 at The Sentry Center in New York, NY.