A leading Brisbane firm is making use of LPO services to offer clients value in a market that is putting increasing pressure on law firm costs.
McCullough Robertson managing partner Guy Humble has told
Australasian Lawyer the firm is walking down the path of legal process outsourcing (LPO) to enhance its value proposition.
“The legal market is changing in the sense that people are demanding more for less, and it’s put enormous pressure on the legal fraternity generally,” Humble said.
“What we are doing is relying upon salary arbitrage and currency arbitrage – particularly in some of the more basic commoditised practice areas – and using LPOs to achieve and deliver the service and quality to the client in a price effective way,” Humble says.
Humble says the firm is also responding to client cost pressures, by introducing different fee models.
“We are moving in a number of areas away from the billable hour towards providing price certainty and fixed costs; we are able to respond to the environment in which our clients find themselves."
McCullough Robertson has been focused on being 'cost conscious' to remain competitive against the nation's more expensive top tier.
“We believe as the largest firm up here we have the ability to compete against other first tier firms, but we believe we can deliver that quality product at a better value equation than our competitors,” Humble explains. He says that national competitors at present either ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’ adjust their pricing.
Humble is confident that the prospects for Brisbane firms generally will improve throughout the year.
“We were dismayed at February and wondered if it was an indication of a broader slowdown for the balance of the financial year,” explains Humble.
“But activity and business has picked up remarkably through March. With the banks lending again, and with M&A and IPO activity and other front-end practices starting to show high levels of activity, we are somewhat encouraged about the balance of the financial year,” he said.
Want to read more about what's happening in Brisbane? Australasian Lawyer will publish an exclusive Brisbane Report in its launch issue, which will be published in April 2014.
