Florida Bar Partners With Clutch Group For First Ever Bar-Sponsored Legal Outsourcing Conference

Key discussion on the benefits, concerns, and logistics of LPO spreads awareness of legal support services to legal professionals across Florida

Orlando, FL (Vocus) November 18, 2008 -- In January, the Florida Bar Ethics Committee was the first in the nation to release an opinion in support of Legal Process Outsourcing (http://www.clutchgroup.com) (LPO), a practice in which companies and law firms employ offshore legal support services. Last week, the group continued its endorsement by holding a one-day conference to address LPO issues for all interested attorneys and law firms.

The conference, entitled ''Legal Process Outsourcing in India - What You Need to Know About Who, How, Why, and Why Not,'' was held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport on November 14 and featured Clutch Group (http://www.clutchgroup.com), a leading global legal solutions company with offices in Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and Bangalore.

"The Florida Bar International Law Section and the South Asian Bar Association of Florida (SABA Florida) developed this seminar to enlighten and educate legal professionals about all aspects of legal process outsourcing and how it may affect the future of the legal industry in Florida," said Rahul Ranadive, SABA Florida CLE coordinator and program co-chair. "Whether or not clients and lawyers ultimately choose to take advantage of LPO (http://www.clutchgroup.com) services, we designed this seminar to help them explore the possibilities that LPO offers and explain why it is growing so quickly."

Many law firms are turning to offshoring legal services in light of the weakening economy and increased litigation, and outsourcing large document review and due diligence projects can save companies a significant amount of money while maximizing efficiency. Still, some are concerned about questions of quality and ethics, two topics discussed at length during last week's seminar.

Clutch Group President Paul Mandell delivered the closing keynote address at the event and participated in a panel that discussed ethical considerations in the industry and the future of LPO.

"Especially in these tough economic times, we believe LPO will be a key factor in transforming how law firms can tackle litigation without breaking the bank and without sacrificing quality," Mandell said. "This conference effectively described legal outsourcing best practices, as well as addressed the concerns of those who are learning about LPO."

About Clutch Group

Clutch Group is a global provider of legal support services, with expertise in cost-effective litigation document review, compliance, commercial lease abstraction, contract management, and legal research services, to Fortune 500 clients and leading global law firms. The company was recently ranked the #1 Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) firm worldwide for 2008 by The Black Book of Outsourcing (http://www.clutchgroup.com/news/news22.html). Clutch Group's workforce comprises more than 300 attorneys and paralegals across the United States and India. The company is led by a team with demonstrated legal expertise, extensive domestic and offshore outsourcing experience, and superior law firm management skills.

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