Are NY Law Firms Outsourcing Legal Work to India?
Hughes Hubbard & Reed won’t do it. Kelley Drye & Warren will, but in limited circumstances. The question is whether New York law firms are outsourcing legal work to India. Hughes Hubbard partner Kenneth Lefkowitz told the New York Times City Room blog that his firm doesn’t outsource legal work to India. “I think it’s too risky,” he told the Times. “I don’t see how the real New York law firms would ever do that,” Lefkowitz added. “It’s not that we’re snobs. It’s because we couldn’t trust it. The reason clients pay us what they pay us is because they know we’re 100 percent quality control.” But Kelley Drye partner Talat Ansari told the newspaper his firm sends some legal matters to India, although it is only basic work. An example: The firm hires lawyers in India to review e-mails to find relevant documents for discovery. “We have comparatively very competent lawyers who speak English there and have gone through rigorous law school training,” he said. And the rates are cheaper, although
