As a senior lawyer, at your site visit to an LPO provider bring experienced IT and security colleagues

When you choose an offshore vendor to provide legal-related services, you shouldn’t base the decision solely on your perception of the ability of the vendor’s staff to do the work. Beyond that, cautions the European Lawyer, Issue 92, Jan. 2010 at 37, you should conduct a site visit of the legal process provider. Security, orderliness, a sense of purpose and discipline, being established and well-run, engaged staff — all can be checked infinitely more confidently when you are onsite. But that is hardly all.

“Importantly, [the general counsel] should make the visit with their heads of information technology and security in tow, as it is those senior staff who will have the specialist knowledge to determine whether the providers can live up to their claims regarding confidentiality.”

Go beyond legal skills and process prowess; ask your specialists to kick the tires of confidentiality and technology strength.