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Frequently Asked Questions |
Can I expect a satisfactory level of competence from LexHarbor’s legal consultants?
Our professionals are not only licensed advocates (licensed to practice law in India), but also licensed Solicitors (licensed to practice in Bombay, and recognized by the Law Society of England and Wales). Only about 5% of Indian attorneys are Solicitors. Indian law, like that of the US, is based on the English common law, and appellate opinions as well as law school education are all in the English medium. Our consultants undergo our Triple P™ process (Pre-Project Preparation) whereby they are acclimated to the issue typically involved in due diligence and document review, such as common documentary privileges, basic legal ethics principles (including testing using graded, mock MPRE exams) and the legal process in general
How will I communicate with the legal consultants?:
Our clients are free to use their conventional procedures for communicating with off-site paralegals. Our consultants are fully equipped with the lastest technology and are available for daily conference calls on project status. Our secure website, message board and file upload capabilities are also available to facilitate both real-time messaging as well as secure data transfer.
What about the quality of the work that will be performed?
Our paralegal consultants are actually fully licensed attorneys in India with top-notch law firm experience, and they hail from among the top Indian law firms. One might expect our consultants’ work product to actually be superior to that conducted by junior attorneys, paralegals and law clerks. A key factor is motivation: Junior associates typically abhor document review, preferring real legal work instead, and oftentimes it shows in the work product. By contrast, motivation is hardly a problem for our legal consultants, who are paid handsomely relative to their market wages. Also, the fact that our consultants are licensed attorneys suggests that they are of a higher caliber than the typical paralegal or legal assistant in the US. LexHarbor’s clients therefore benefit from top notch services at affordable billing rates.
I have concerns about the security and confidentiality of my documents. What limitations do LexHarbor consultants face in this regard?
LexHarbor consultants, as licensed Indian attorneys, face debarment, civil penalties and possible criminal sanctions for the improper usurpation of confidential information. In addition, each consultant’s ethical background has been checked to meet the moral turpitude standard (the same standard that applies for U.S. attorneys). Transfers of data through our website are secured by 128 bit encryption and protection on servers that are managed and controlled in the US. Moreover, unauthorized access is limited by our consultants’ usage of industry-standard reviewing software and the robust security features contained therein.
Do I risk waiving attorney-client privilege over my client’s documents merely by outsourcing through LexHarbor?
No. The protections of attorney-client privilege extend to a hiring lawyer’s agents, and extends, in fact, beyond paralegals and secretaries to other agents such as investigators and handwriting analysts. See, e.g., United States v. Nobles, 422 U.S. 225, 238-39 (1975) (investigator); United States v. Pipkins, 528 F.2d 559, 563 (5th Cir. 1976) (handwriting analyst).
I am still unsure, and have more questions.
Feel free to contact us at info@lexharbor.com so that we can address your concerns and questions. We offer several billing options depending on the project, including the possibility of reduced-cost trial projects using a sample documents in order to establish proof of concept.
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