Herbert Smith Freehills has announced that it will further grow the technology arm of its global Alternative Legal Services (ALT) business to include a new ALT eDiscovery team based in the US and an expanded eDiscovery capability in Asia.
These new offerings will wrap into a global 24/7 'follow-the-sun' approach to eDiscovery service delivery clients, alongside existing eDiscovery teams in Australia, London and Belfast.
The new presence in the US, based in New York, and in Asia, based in Hong Kong, brings ALT's worldwide reach to 11 global operating locations - providing clients with 24/7 legal and technology services from offices in Beijing, Belfast, Brisbane, Johannesburg, London, Melbourne, Perth, Shanghai and Sydney.
The firm will hire nine new ALT team members in New York and one in Hong Kong, bringing the total number of eDiscovery technology experts in the firm's ALT business to about 50, operating as one global service-delivery team.
The new eDiscovery capability, which will be up and running by April 2019, will deliver 'in-house' eDiscovery services for the firm's clients, working closely with lawyers working on matters across litigation, international arbitration and regulatory investigations around the world. This initiative also puts the foundations in place for ALT to continue to develop new technology solutions to offer clients in the future, across the firm's contentious and transactional practice areas.
ALT New York, which will be housed within the firm's Lexington Avenue office, will be led by a senior qualified lawyer with extensive eDiscovery experience, as well as expertise in the application of analytics and document review processes. The presence in Hong Kong will provide support to clients and instructing teams based in Greater China, across Asia and globally.
Commenting on the expansion, Herbert Smith Freehills’ Global Head of Practice for Alternative Legal Services, Libby Jackson, said:
"A globalised approach is an innovative way for us to provide eDiscovery services for clients to seamlessly complement the legal work delivered by the firm. Excitingly, with legal technology developing apace, it will also put the foundations in place for ALT to continue developing new technology solutions to offer clients in the future.
"The US will be the newest part of ALT's global footprint. High-quality eDiscovery expertise is always in great demand across our global network and in New York there is an unrivalled depth of technology and data analytics talent. This is why ALT has sought to base an experienced eDiscovery team in New York, who will weave their expertise into our global approach."
Herbert Smith Freehills CEO Mark Rigotti said:
"Our ALT offering has proven very popular with clients all over the world. We now have over 350 staff in soon-to-be 11 strategic locations across the globe. We intend to keep investing in innovative solutions that add value for our clients, including continuing to grow this exciting and fast-moving part of the business.
About Herbert Smith Freehills' New York Office
The New York office of Herbert Smith Freehills includes a team of seasoned litigators as well as international arbitration specialists representing clients in a wide range of commercial litigation, investigations, cross-border matters and class actions throughout the United States. New York is also the hub for the firm's global Latin America practice with a focus on infrastructure and project finance matters. Additionally, New York has a cross-border M&A practice with a focus on outbound investments into Asia-Pac and EMEA.
About Herbert Smith Freehills in Asia
With a 30-year history in Asia, Herbert Smith Freehills has over 300 lawyers and legal professionals in the region, advising clients on complex corporate, disputes and finance matters from offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta*, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.
*In Jakarta, Herbert Smith Freehills' international counsel practise alongside its affiliate firm, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, one of Indonesia’s leading commercial and corporate law firms.
About Herbert Smith Freehills' Alternative Legal Services
Herbert Smith Freehills' pioneering global Alternative Legal Services business harnesses the firm's key legal and client technology expertise around the world to offer cost efficient legal products and technology services for clients. From its earliest beginnings in Belfast in 2011, the Practice Group now turns over in excess of £40m annually.
The team works seamlessly from offices in Belfast, London, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane – and shortly from New York and Hong Kong – under the one trusted legal services provider brand.
Alternative Legal Services uses leading eDiscovery technology to support high-volume matters such as disputes and investigations. It is a market leader in the use of technology assisted review (TAR) for e-disclosure in the UK and worked on the first UK Commercial Court matter to use it.
The global business offers all clients globally a range of alternative legal services in addition to document review, including:
- regulatory claims assessment
- due diligence
- commercial contracts
- repapering
- specialist funds work
- asset management for real estate clients
- eDiscovery and client data technology services (including advisory and document review software)
Our clients benefit fully from the enhanced value and time-saving that leading technology and innovation in delivery can provide.
About Herbert Smith Freehills
Operating from 27 offices across Asia Pacific, EMEA and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice. The firm provides many of the world’s most important organisations with access to market-leading dispute resolution, projects and transactional legal advice, combined with expertise in a number of global industry sectors, including Banks, Consumer Products, Energy, Financial Buyers, Infrastructure & Transport, Mining, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Real Estate, TMT and Manufacturing & Industrials.