Osborne Clarke (OC) today announced a unique and innovative response to client demands for greater efficiency from the legal industry with a £50 million deal with Integreon to create the UK legal sector's first onshore shared services centre.  The seven year deal will see approximately 75 of OC's business services employees transferred to Integreon.

Client demands led OC to look at the way law firms buy and use support services. Over the last 12 months, the firm has put its own working practices under the microscope as well as those of competitors. It concluded that the legal industry would move to focus on core legal services in future. Support services would be provided by a new generation of businesses focused on high end multiple service provision to the professional services community.

Having invested time in defining its requirements and actively searching for a suitable provider to deliver it, OC has over the last six months worked with the global leader in integrated Knowledge and Legal Process Outsourcing, Integreon, to develop this business model.

The Integreon UK onshore centre will be based in Bristol and will provide a full suite of business support services to law firms. Integreon will provide the majority of OC's business services ranging from IT to business intelligence.

Simon Beswick, managing partner, Osborne Clarke commented:

"Having access to a full suite of specialised business support services designed for the legal industry is a critical part of OC's vision of the modern law firm. The aim is to ensure the delivery of a competitive, high quality and flexible service for clients.

"For OC, sourcing non-legal expertise from one expert supplier enables a clear focus on our legal activities, with the security of flexible business service support and cost stability.

"Our clients exist in a tough commercial environment and expect their lawyers to be as focused and cost efficient as they are."

Osborne Clarke chose to work with Integreon because it provided a good fit commercially for the firm and for its business services professionals. Simon Beswick commented:

"It is testament to the expertise and experience of OC's business service professionals that they will now be involved in the growth of Integreon's UK and European offering.  Both businesses have a clear focus on innovation and providing quality service - this is a good fit for our people."

Date: 02 Feb 2009