Extract from Rhys Dipshan’s article “No Price Increases: E-Discovery Providers Weather Market Disruptions—For Now”
With a global economy rapidly bouncing back from its pandemic lows, higher commodity and service prices have become the norm. But there’s at least one area where legal professionals are unlikely to see much price inflation in the near future: e-discovery services.
“Do we need to pass on some of the changing economics to our customers in terms of prices? In the short term, we don’t see that,” said Prashant Dubey, vice president, contracts, discovery and disability inclusion at Elevate.
Michael Quartararo, president of the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), also doesn’t expect e-discovery services, such as document review or data processing, to become more expensive in the short term. “I don’t see those prices changing because it’s a buyers’ market.”
Room in the Margins
Of course, like many others, e-discovery providers are feeling the impact of the disruptions making waves across the economy. Some, for instance, are dealing with supply chain issues that are making it harder, and more expensive, to buy items such as hard drives. Many are also facing extended mail delivery times and an e-discovery job market where candidates and reviewers are commanding much higher salaries.
