Berwin Leighton Paisner's legal services provider Lawyers on Demand (Lod) has launched a transaction-based service offering clients a low-cost means of carrying out routine transactional work.

The offering, which launches today following a pilot phase, will make use of LoD lawyers currently working remotely on its On Call service.

The teams, which will vary in size depending on the assignment, will work remotely to review, renegotiate and manage more complex transactions and commercial contracts.

LOD co-founder Simon Harper said: "We started working with the remote on callers, but then we had clients who were looking to use teams to assist them on the bigger deals. This isn't for work that would have been given to paralegals…these lawyers are going to be fairly senior with legal experience."

During a pilot scheme, transaction teams made up of between two and 12 lawyers worked on 12 assignments for a range of clients.

Typically, the teams will be made up of senior lawyers with in-house experience, but who need the flexibility that the role entails. 'Engagement managers' for each team will take charge of the client relationship, as well as overseeing the transaction work.

Unlike the service centre model operated by competitors such as Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), where legal resource teams have their own office space, BLP's 'cloud lawyers' are able to work from home or elsewhere.

There will also be scope for the teams to visit firms to work in person with clients, however, depending on the needs of the transaction.

Last year, at the time of the pilot project's launch, BLP partners were thought to be considering the use of the model as an alternative to setting up its own outsourcing centre.

BLP is one of a selection of firms to have used the service during the pilot phase, with real estate partner Karen Friebe employing a team of 12 LoD lawyers on an unnamed matter.

Several leading firms have set up 'near-shoring' service centres in recent years. These include HSF, which has a document review base in Belfast, Ashurst, which bases its support centre in Glasgow, and Hogan Lovells, which established a low-cost outpost in Birmingham earlier this year.

This week, accounts filed with Companies House revealed that LoD paid £2.75m to spin off its resourcing business from BLP during the 2012-13 financial year.