Cutting Out the Middleman

In a midtown office with views of Lexington Avenue’s high-rises, a group of about 50 lawyers sit side-by-side at long tables, each staring into the glow of their flat-screen monitors. Aside from the click of a mouse, an attorney stirring in his chair, or an occasional sneeze, the large, rectangular room is quiet. The lawyers are paid about $35–$40 per hour, and are equipped with the latest technology for e-discovery. Every couple of hours, a supervisor will meander in, ask if there are any questions, make sure all is well, then leave.

It’s an efficient little package, says Lauren Rothenberg, senior vice president of Hudson Legal, the company that runs the operation. So much so, that corporate clients are seeking out the services directly, instead of hiring law firms that then farm out work to contract attorneys. For instance, when Bar Talk visited, the attorneys present were working on a case for a major pharmaceutical company that had hired Hudson for document review. Hudson sends reports back to the pharma company’s outside and in-house counsel daily and, occasionally, a firm lawyer will check in at Hudson’s offices.