Ayala-owned Integreon launches UK service facility for law firms

MANILA, Philippines- Ayala-owned knowledge and legal process outsourcing Integreon Managed Solutions Inc. on Tuesday announced that it has launched the first United Kingom onshore shared services center for the legal market. In a statement, Integreon said it signed a seven year 50-million pound contract with Osborne Clarke, a UK top 30 law firm with 400 lawyers, to support the law firm's business needs. Integreon will start providing service to the law firm in March. Osborne Clarke is the first client of Integreon in the UK. Integreon said it has worked closely with Osborne Clarke for the design of the suite of services provided from the shared services center. “As part of Integreon's seven-year, 50-million pound agreement, approximately 75 business services professionals will move from Osborne Clarke to Integreon. Integreon will support Osborne Clarke, as well as other law firms' Middle Office needs, including technology and business intelligence services; knowledge and information management; transcription, secretarial, and word processing services," Integreon said. The company added that it has appointed Chris Bull, former chief operating officer of Osborne Clarke to be Integreon's European chief operating officer, reporting directly to chief executive officer Liam Brown. Bull has served Osborne Clarke's board for 12 years. Bull will oversee the management of the new shared-services center as well as Integreon's existing European business. Osborne Clarke has also initiated discussions with affected employees as required by UK laws and that no redundancies are expected. To boost its operations, Integreon said it is in active discussions with other law firms and corporations about advantage of the economic benefits of the shared-services approach that the facility will offer. Integreon expects to grow its new U.K. location substantially, open centers in other European locations, hire additional associates and managers, and gain market share in the European legal and knowledge services outsourcing market. The new U.K.-based operations will be located in Bristol and will complement Integreon's current onshore U.S. delivery centers in Fargo, North Dakota (acquired in 2006) and New York City (acquired in 2008), which employ approximately 300 staff and its offshore delivery centers in Mumbai, Delhi, and Manila, which employ approximately 1,700 staff. Integreon provides a range of 'Middle Office' professional support services to many law firms, including Clifford Chance, DLA Piper LLC (U.S.) and Sonnenschein. "Integreon's long-term strategic plan has always been to offer a choice of onshore and offshore locations, which enables clients to take advantage of talented professionals, cost savings, business continuity options, and a follow-the-sun strategy," said Brown. "The new U.K. center is consistent with that vision and I welcome new associates from Osborne Clarke to our global team of highly skilled professionals." Simon Beswick, managing partner, Osborne Clarke said Integreon's business support services facility is part of its vision to become a modern law firm. "For Osborne Clarke, 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," Beswick said. Integreon is a subsidiary of the Ayala group’s business process outsourcing (BPO) investment firm LiveIt Solutions Inc. Last year LiveIt had acquired Datum Legal Inc., a New York-based litigation support services company, for $10 million. Backed by a $200-million allocation for expansion, LiveIt has been actively acquiring assets in the BPO industry. Integreon has also earlier bought into North Dakota-based CBF Group Inc., a provider of enterprise services to law firms.GMANews.TV