It was only a matter of time, and yet, it took so much time. The news that Eversheds is to become arguably the first law firm to move into the legal consulting business is in many ways an obvious move for a law firm. And yet no one, to my knowledge at least, has tried the ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ play of using their knowledge as a supplier to tell buyers how to buy better.
The new division, Eversheds Consulting, will primarily aim to advise in-house legal teams on procurement, compliance, processes and record management matters. Areas that the nine-strong launch team is expected to focus on include helping general counsel to structure panel arrangements, outsourcing and managing budgets.
