Deloitte Launches U.S. Legal Business Services

Deloitte has launched its Legal Business Services practice in the U.S., a comprehensive suite of legal management consulting and technologically-enabled legal managed services for corporate legal departments designed to accelerate the transformation of the business of law.

The U.S. launch is the latest step in Deloitte’s global expansion as one of the world’s largest providers of legal business services. Chief legal officers (CLOs) can apply Deloitte’s deep industry knowledge and its breadth of technical capabilities to meet a variety of strategic needs, including the use of data to drive faster, more informed, and holistic decision-making. Operating from more than 80 countries, Deloitte’s global footprint means that legal business needs can be met in the context of local and regional business practices as well as legal and regulatory frameworks.

“Legal departments are under pressure to transform as CLOs contend with new challenges brought on by the dizzying speed of business in a digital age while operating in a constrained budget environment,” said Dan Lange, partner, Deloitte Legal Business Services, Deloitte Tax LLP. “Market analysis shows that many current external providers continue to replicate solutions of the past and deliver narrow services through traditional, siloed methods. Now, COVID-19 has catalyzed the need for accelerated change in legal departments, requiring them to reimagine their legal operations in real time. As the former global leader of Deloitte Tax & Legal, I am thrilled to continue to execute on our global strategic plan with the launch of Legal Business Services. This allows us to continue our long-standing vision of transforming the business of law through technology, process, enhanced project management, and innovative operating models.”

The Legal Business Services practice will both incorporate and build on Deloitte’s existing legal department offerings that include legal management consulting and legal managed services designed to help streamline, automate, and transform legal departments. Some of the specific services and solutions offered include legal operating model design; contract lifecycle management; legal entity management; regulatory consulting; knowledge management; eDiscovery; data governance; legal invoice review and spend analytics; legal services and supplier sourcing; dispute analysis; and forensic investigations.

“Our rapid expansion of legal department operations capabilities is based on what we have learned over years of senior legal leadership interactions through our numerous legal department services and through our CLO Program,” said Don Fancher, principal, Deloitte Legal Business Services and global leader, Deloitte Forensic, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP. “Technology and now COVID-19 are making day-to-day operations more complex and cost prohibitive. Legal Business Services enables CLOs to focus on C-suite level strategy by using technology and legal managed services to streamline other more labor-intensive efforts, all while enhancing the overarching value of the corporate legal department.”

Deloitte is strategically investing in growing the Legal Business Services practice through the recent Deloitte Tax LLP additions of seasoned market leaders Mark Ross, principal, Richard Levine, managing director, and Lewis Christian, managing director. These recognized industry leaders add further breadth and depth to Deloitte’s existing skills in driving a singular, scaled destination for the corporate legal buyer.

“In leveraging its global scale, cross-functional capabilities, and subject matter proficiency, Deloitte is extremely well-equipped to orchestrate an integrated ecosystem of services and advanced technologies that will redefine both the traditional and alternative legal services industries,” said Mark Ross. “This powerful combination of resources is exactly why I recently joined Deloitte, and why we are set to transform — among other areas — the in-house contract management function.”

“With our trusted brand, existing capabilities, and ongoing strategic investments, we can help legal departments address their challenges in an integrated manner that positions CLOs and corporate legal departments for future success,” concluded Dan Lange.

Deloitte U.S. firms do not practice law or provide legal advice.