Earlier this week, a consultant I know pretty well took me to task for arguing recently that clients are, despite often complaining about law firms, largely failing to push through change in the legal industry. But I stand by the case that I made then: much of the current innovation is coming from law firms looking to gain an edge on their rivals rather than being forced through by clients.
And the events of recent weeks only reinforce that impression. In two weeks, we’ve seen Herbert Smith announce the launch of a new centre in Belfast to handle document review work, CMS Cameron McKenna agree a deal to transfer the vast majority of its back office to an external provider and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) confirm that it is considering hiving off its ‘virtual’ law firm, Lawyers on Demand.
