Page 12 - 1 Disruption and Opportunties - Law and Accounting rd
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Professional Services Disruption
services providers.” The range of services has greatly expanded. At first, the charge was led by independent
companies, but now those services are being provided by the Big Four.40 This expands the Big Four from audit
and accounting to legal services and management services.
Section summary: Legal and accounting services are inter-related, but they provide different components of
professional services. From an accounting perspective, legal services are simply another service they can offer
clients41. This also applies to ALSPs. From the law firm perspective, legal practice is unique. As a result of an
extensive list of ethical rules, some would argue it is more professional. Other would argue law is a business
subject to what the client wishes to purchase.
In a world of professional services convergence and disaggregation, both views have their merits. The result
is disruption.
40 Neil Rose, Growth of Alternative Providers – Especially Big 4 – Could Push Law Firms into ‘Contractor’ Role, LEGAL FUTUREs (Feb. 1, 2017),
https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/growth-alternative-providers-especially-big-4-push-law-firms-contractor-role; David Curle, Alternative
Legal Service Providers: Changing Buyer Perception, THOMSON REUTERS LEGAL (May 2, 2017),
https://blogs.thomsonreuters.com/answerson/alternative-legal-service-providers-buyer-perception/; Mark A. Cohen, Legal Delivery at the Speed of
Business -- and Why It Matters, FORBES (June 25, 2018), https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcohen1/2018/06/25/legal-delivery-at-the-speed-of-
business-and-why-it-matters/.
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9
services providers.” The range of services has greatly expanded. At first, the charge was led by independent
companies, but now those services are being provided by the Big Four.40 This expands the Big Four from audit
and accounting to legal services and management services.
Section summary: Legal and accounting services are inter-related, but they provide different components of
professional services. From an accounting perspective, legal services are simply another service they can offer
clients41. This also applies to ALSPs. From the law firm perspective, legal practice is unique. As a result of an
extensive list of ethical rules, some would argue it is more professional. Other would argue law is a business
subject to what the client wishes to purchase.
In a world of professional services convergence and disaggregation, both views have their merits. The result
is disruption.
40 Neil Rose, Growth of Alternative Providers – Especially Big 4 – Could Push Law Firms into ‘Contractor’ Role, LEGAL FUTUREs (Feb. 1, 2017),
https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/growth-alternative-providers-especially-big-4-push-law-firms-contractor-role; David Curle, Alternative
Legal Service Providers: Changing Buyer Perception, THOMSON REUTERS LEGAL (May 2, 2017),
https://blogs.thomsonreuters.com/answerson/alternative-legal-service-providers-buyer-perception/; Mark A. Cohen, Legal Delivery at the Speed of
Business -- and Why It Matters, FORBES (June 25, 2018), https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcohen1/2018/06/25/legal-delivery-at-the-speed-of-
business-and-why-it-matters/.
41
9
