We recently attended the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) in Las Vegas, which is always a great time to connect with colleagues and clients to discuss the evolving world of legal operations. As litigation and regulatory investigations grow increasingly international in scope, it’s becoming more important than ever for corporate legal departments, outside counsel, and legal service providers to work closely together like a finely-tuned machine to ensure successful outcomes and disciplined, efficient operations.

The legal operations center of excellence

Corporations are taking more control of their legal spend – which in the past, may have received little oversight – and the “legal operations center of excellence” trend is taking off. What does this mean for legal practitioners? For one, it means corporations are taking more tasks traditionally outsourced to law firms or service providers, and doing it themselves. And, for those tasks they are outsourcing, they’re looking for more oversight, control, and transparency.

The result – if done right – is that corporations are often working with multiple legal service providers that are not traditional law firms, while often still contract with a traditional outside counsel (or multiple outside counsels) and expect all their internal and external resources to work harmoniously together toward a goal or outcome.

Corporations are taking more control of their legal spend – which in the past, may have received little oversight – and the “legal operations center of excellence” trend is taking off.

Communication is key for legal operations success

In this new model of doing business, there are a few keys to success for legal service providers – impeccable open communication, excellent collaboration, and always, always keeping the client at the center of every task.

Paul Mankoo, President of International & Managed Services at Legility, recently sat down with Chris Dale of the eDisclosure Information Project, to discuss legal operations trends and what traits can make or break a legal services provider doing business within this new model. Click below to watch: