汤森路透最新发布《2022企业法律部门状况报告》（2022 State of Corporate Law Departments），指出企业法务部支出将不断提升，效率及工作效能成为部门要务。
报告表明，全球营收超10亿美元的机构中，法律支出占营收比重平均为0.12%。不过这一数字在亚太地区较低，目前仅为0.05%。
疫情爆发两年有余，法务部在各方面经历剧烈变化。43%的受访部门负责人认为，法务部未来12个月中的总体法律支出将增长。
谈到具体增长领域，受到强监管的金融机构和医药/生物科技业预期外部合规费用将增长。快速发展的TMT、制造业也需要更多的外部合规支持。
与此同时，各个行业在劳动用工方面的需求和支出也预期增长。
报告还讨论了法务部门和外部律所间的关系。通过对数千个法务部门展开调研，报告发现了决定客户满意度的七大要素，包括：律师个人能力；对客户行业的熟知度；展示创新的意愿；是否构建了正式的客户反馈机制；以及律所的性别平等水平等。
谈到未来12个月的工作重点，有趣的是，虽然守护业务不遭遇风险及法律问题依旧颇受重视——46%的法务部负责人将其列为第一要务，更多的受访者（50%）则将提升部门效率列为首要关注点。
法务部负责人第三关注的重点则是部门能否在面对挑战时依旧有效工作。换句话说，能否高效且有效地交付法律工作最为重要。
最后，报告调研了法务部律师的驱动力。59%的受访者属于“自我驱动型”，驱动因素包括不断学习和自我发展的需求，以及在岗位上做到最好的自我要求。29%的人属于“公司驱动型”，包括期待帮助公司做出更具战略性的决策，以及能够为公司提供良好的服务。
您可点击此处阅读/下载完整报告。
Corporate law departments anticipate increase in spending, efficiency becomes top priority
Thomson Reuters has published its latest “2022 State of Corporate Law Departments” report, indicating an increase in spending, with efficiency and effectiveness being the top priorities of law departments.
The report shows that for global organizations with revenues of more than $1 billion, total legal spend on average is currently 0.12% of revenue. However, the number in Asia Pacific is relatively low at 0.05% currently.
Over two years into the pandemic and having been enduring dramatic shifts in various aspects, not surprisingly, 43% of the surveyed law department leaders said they expect their departments’ total legal spend to increase in the coming 12 months.
In terms of future spending, the heavily regulated financial institutions and pharmaceuticals/biosciences industries are most likely to anticipate increased external spend. The fast-moving TMT and manufacturing sectors also anticipate greater need for regulatory support.
Meanwhile, demand for legal services in the labor & employment area also is expected to increase across the board.
The report also sheds light on partnership between law departments and law firms. By analyzing how thousands of corporate law departments rate their law firms, seven critical levers of client satisfaction have emerged, namely strength of individual lawyers, showing knowledge of the client’s sector, demonstrating innovation, establishing a formal client feedback process, and gender diversity among others.
In terms of top priorities for the coming 12 months, interestingly, although safeguarding the business from risk and legal trouble was still high on many leaders list, with 46% of leaders citing this as a top priority, a slightly higher number (50%) of survey respondents cited efficiency as a stronger priority.
The no.3 cited priority was the ability for the department to deliver work effectively even in the face of challenges. All three indicate the importance of the efficient and effective delivery of legal work.
Finally, the report surveyed the driving purposes for in-house lawyers. 59% of respondents were self-motivated, citing continuing to learn/develop, high performing in role/best I can be as top drivers. 29% were motivated on the company level, including aiming to help company make strategic decisions, and provide good service to company/internally.
Click here to read/download the full report.
