US legal process outsourcing (LPO) provider Clutch has signalled its intentions to expand its UK presence with the hire of Lloyds Banking Group retail and wealth dispute resolution head Aamir Khan as its general counsel and senior director for the UK and Europe.
The move comes as South African LPO rival Exigent today announced it has hired Pinsent Masons head of litigation Nigel Kissack to join its board as global strategy consultant.
Khan (pictured), who joined Washington, D.C-headquartered Clutch at the end of June, has been brought in to manage key client relationships in the UK as the group moves to meet the needs of UK companies in the face of a sharp increase in legal and regulatory enforcement.
A statement from the company, which works with over 40 of the largest law firms in the US, said: ‘The United States (US) has seen significant ramp up in legal and regulatory enforcement across several industries in recent years. Businesses in the UK and the European Union (EU) are now facing a similar ramp up.’
Clutch’s chief executive officer (CEO), Abhi Shah, added: ‘Aamir is a critical hire that will help to expand our presence in the UK and meet the burgeoning needs of European financial services institutions given the changes occurring in the legal and regulatory environment.’
For Khan, who has observed first-hand the growing demands on the financial services industry, the move is, he says, an opportunity to expand his responsibilities ‘to a more entrepreneurial and business focused position.’
Prior to joining Lloyds, Khan worked as an assistant solicitor in the commercial disputes group at Reed Smith and before that at Hammonds (now Squire Sanders).
Meanwhile Kissack, who had a leading role in Pinsent Masons’ own outsourcing agreements with Exigent, has had a working relationship with the Cape Town-headquartered LPO for a number of years.
He will advise clients on LPO strategy and outsourcing of legal activities across all major practice groups and CEO of Exigent, David Holme, said: ‘We have been working with Nigel for many years changing the way litigation support is delivered at Pinsent Masons. Nigel has a reputation for innovative thinking around legal service delivery.’
Kissack said: ‘The industry is fast evolving and adaptation is going to be critical to success. My keen interest in the use of new technology to add value and make professional services more cost effective will play a major part in all discussions.’
francesca.fanshawe@legalease.co.uk
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk