SAN FRANCISCO — Since Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe opened its West Virginia back-office operation more than a decade ago, a slew of major firms have followed suit by putting administrators, paralegals and even lawyers in places such as Tennessee and Kentucky.

Taking that theme in the opposite direction, Alabama-based Maynard Cooper & Gale says its low-cost base of operations gives it a leg up in competing for business with its new San Francisco office.