Clifford Chance and Eversheds outsourcing to India. What lies ahead?
It’s one thing discussing your phone and utility bills with call centre workers in Delhi, what about due diligence or commercial contracts? Now Clifford Chance and Eversheds are considering exporting work normally undertaken by trainees and paralegals to India. Will junior fee earners and trainees have any deal fodder left to cut their teeth with? David Childs, global managing partner at Clifford Chance denied trainee numbers in London would be affected, although he said it was “likely paralegal numbers …
It’s one thing discussing your phone and utility bills with call centre workers in Delhi, what about due diligence or commercial contracts? Now Clifford Chance and Eversheds are considering exporting work normally undertaken by trainees and paralegals to India.
Will junior fee earners and trainees have any deal fodder left to cut their teeth with? David Childs, global managing partner at Clifford Chance denied trainee numbers in London would be affected, although he said it was “likely paralegal numbers in London will now be flat or possibly fall a little as leavers are not replaced”.
Eversheds is also considering a similar move; a spokesperson for the firm said: "We have been actively exploring the possibilities of offshoring at the request of some of our major clients, however, we would only contemplate going down this route when and if we were convinced that the quality of our product could be maintained." Commercial group head Jonathan Guest said, “Clients like the concept but want someone to establish the process and provide verification. From our perspective we are bringing a solution to a perceived client need – we will hopefully be introduced to new clients through this and it will lead the way for the firm to act for them on larger scale work.”
This is probably of great relief to those trainees and associates who will see hours of grinding due diligence disappear to some unfortunate in India but where will it end? Are we all doomed as the service sector is gradually exported to save costs or will we all be freed up to power the economy with more high-brow activity? Dismal scientists come forth…
Got a story? Contact team solicitr
August 12, 2008
I’ll fight those indians for my jobs….
resistance!!
August 12, 2008
don’t know what the cost savings are but what will happen to all those people who hoped to squeeze in to qualifying via the paralegal back door?
August 12, 2008
losers should not be allowed in
August 12, 2008
This seems like a sensible cost saving exercise but where will it leave trainees in the grand scheme of things. They do need to learn the basics of transactional work and whilst it may not be exciting to do for hours, days, weeks on end I consider it essential. The other issue is of course quality, how do you ensure this is maintained remotely and who is ultimately responsible?
August 12, 2008
Whilst I wouldn’t claim to be an expert in the dismal science, I studied some economics as part of a business and law module at uni and recall that the service economy might be the final stage of a developed economy before it declined, may be what we are seeing now?? There are more optimistic theories which consider that new stages will emerge after the service stage…
Maybe one day we will all have dream jobs with mundane things like law all outsourced to india and china along with cheap clothes and dishwashers; but joy for now – back to that report on title.
August 12, 2008
would love to outsource some of the form filling/drafting everything actually
August 12, 2008
were all doomed
August 12, 2008
hugh fearnley whatsisface must be right, time to start growing spuds in my windowbox