Tug of war

Alternative legal service providers have emerged as an increasingly viable option to corporate legal departments looking to farm out process work such as e-discovery or due diligence while still adhering to budget guidelines. But while the prospect of a lower-cost alternative to the traditional law firm may be appealing, legal departments still have to consider all of the angles involved. For starters, many legal operations professionals may still be struggling to expand the use of ALSPs beyond that basic process work due to the increased trust or supervision required. They also depend on a network of contacts or even outside counsel to provide insight into an ALSP's reputation and expertise. Here's a look at five ways corporate legal departments are evaluating their relationships with ALSPs.