Rio Tinto scoops this award for its project to outsource part of its internal and external legal needs to CPA Global in India. As a result of this initiative a 12-strong legal team in Delhi now undertakes research, document review and contract drafting.
The project is the brainchild of Rio Tinto’s managing attorney, Leah Cooper, and was devised in response to pressure to reduce the company’s legal spend. Cooper began negotiations with CPA in November 2008 with a due diligence exercise into the viability of the project. It was approved in May 2009 and the arrangement was rolled out across Rio Tinto’s offices in June.
