New ways of providing legal services in the post-Covid-19 world
The Wolters Kluwer foundation and Esade Law School recently held their 31st Professional Meet to analyse ALSPs (Alternative Legal Services Provider). These meets, held four times a year since 2013, share the knowledge and experience of leading experts in management and innovation for the legal profession, with the legal profession in general.
The online panel discussion, opened by the president of the Wolters Kluwer Foundation, Cristina Sancho, and chaired by Eugenia Navarro, professor of strategy and innovation at Esade, featured Ana Buitrago, Spain & Germany Legal Director, Associate Counsel at Amazon; Andrés Jara, founder and CEO of Alster Legal; Natalia Martos, founder and CEO of Legal Army; and Laia Moncosí, founding partner of Lawyers for Projects.
ALSPs, an adaptable model
Natalia Martos explained that because these models were created on line with extremely efficient tools for working from home, they are very adaptable without affecting the top quality of the service by enabling the right talent bolstered by technology to be used. “This model is ideal in these times of global crisis and pandemic compared to models with greater leverage.”
Flexibility, agility and technology
Ana Buitrago highlighted the legal profession’s need for flexible instruments. ALSPs offer flexibility in team structures and length of secondment, along with technology and added value. “These external suppliers are very useful for specific projects. They make it possible to temporarily incorporate talent that has prior in-house experience and specific knowledge in certain areas, and is trained to quickly join the internal team and adapt to customers’ needs”. Buitrago regards the technology they bring to be a unique value added because “it is lacking in many law firms, and having providers who incorporate it into the firm’s system whilst they train your team is a massive plus”.
Cost cutting and low risk
Laia Moncosí explained the difference between Legal Managed Services (LMS) and Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO), both of which are types of ALSPs that aim to increase efficiency and cut costs. “LPO usually involves high volume and low or medium risk, such as a massive revision of contracts.” LMS go one step further because “they are delegated service providers that take on a specific unit of legal counsel as their own, a unit that has a budget and is managed as a whole, such as the external management of litigation in a legal counsel.”
“The market is dictated to by demand”
“ALSPs involve a very different way of dealing with customers”, explained Andrés Jara. “It is a sophisticated B2B corporate advisory service that enables them to appreciate the added value”. This is a huge change to legal service providers that might encounter obstacles “if we are not able to be transparent and convey the value that is created”. He recalled a famous quote by Mark Cohen, CEO of LegalMosaic, lawyer and law professor in the USA, “It must be understood that the market is ruled by demand. Those who buy the services are in control.”
This talk is part of the series of Professional Meets held by the Wolters Kluwer Foundation and Esade Law School.
