Deutsche Post World Net mail services subsidiary Williams Lea has announced the acquisition ofCentric LPO, giving the company a strong foothold in the Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) market
which is estimated to be worth up to $20 billion by 2015. The acquisition sum was not disclosed.The acquired company will be re-named as Williams Lea LPO under the continued management ofManaging Director Chris Raybould. No information on the company’s revenues or customer base wasdisclosed.
Tim Griffiths, Group CEO, Williams Lea said: “This is an exciting business venture forWilliams Lea and a natural extension of our existing legal offering globally. Williams Lea iscommitted to growing its specialist legal service solutions expertise and we believe the move intothe LPO space will both reinvigorate and expand our legal proposition. At a time when the market isin its infancy, we know we have a great opportunity to shape and lead the way through ourinnovative solutions.”
The acquisition comes at a time when law firms are adopting new methods of working,reflecting the needs of their global client base and an increasing demand for pro-active customerservice delivery, Williams Lea noted in a statement. Additional pressure is being applied throughcontinual advances in information technology and a market trend towards commoditisation. Lawyers’jobs are being carved up into identifiable tasks that can be outsourced more effectively andquickly by others.
“In today’s market, you are either a law firm or you buy legal services,” said ChrisRaybould, Managing Director, Williams Lea LPO. “There is enormous opportunity within the legalservices market worldwide, but it is essential that the sector stays in line with the rapid pace ofchange in the global economy.”
“With the acquisition of Centric LPO, Williams Lea gains a focused domain expertise, globalsolution architects and outsourcing experience that it can grow further through its establishedglobal network. The evolved proposition and expertise will be passed onto clients in the shape ofgreater efficiency for law firms, an increase in their fee earning capacity and ultimately animproved customer experience.”
