25% of In-House Lawyers Report Less Work for Outside Firms, Survey Says
Outside firms will face less work and increased competition from corporate legal departments in 2010.
In a poll of 150 in-house lawyers at major U.S. and Canadian companies, nearly one-quarter said they planned to decrease their reliance on outside counsel, according to a survey by legal staffing agency Robert Half Legal, reports Corporate Counsel.
Instead, corporate legal departments are boosting in-house capabilities. More than 25 percent of the 100 in-house lawyers interviewed in a separate survey said they expected to hire more staff in the second quarter of 2010. Virtually none of the in-house counsel predicted a decline in legal work and staffing.
Only 10 percent of in-house lawyers surveyed intended to increase the amount of work sent to outside firms, while 61 percent anticipated no change.
Also see:
Robert Half Legal (news release): “New Realities Transforming Delivery of Legal Services: Industry Report by Robert Half Legal Shows Law Offices Focused on Operating Cost-Effectively”
