2011 Sixth Annual Salary Survey - The Cowen Group

http://ow.ly/aeClE

The link above provides a recap of the Cowen Group's Sixth Annual Salary Survey for law firm litigation support professionals.

The survey result summary states, "2011 was a pivotal year for executives who are managing litigation support departments at major law firms. A handful of firms purchased next generation technologies and invested in new talent to support and operate these systems.

eDiscovery Practice Groups converged with litigation support departments, causing firms to invest in attorneys to manage technologists, cases, and client relationships. Some law firms struggled with how to offer competitive, value added support by evaluating widely varying service models and alternate billing arrangements. Our 2011 Market Landscape and Salary Survey show Directors, Firm-wide Managers, and eDiscovery Practice Group Heads have assumed elevated executive leadership roles—managing departments that spend millions of dollars on salaries alone, and in return realizing comparable revenue.

With our sixth annual Salary Report, The Cowen Group has focused on helping executives gain better insight into the human capital costs of running a litigation support department. In 2011, we asked firm leaders to share department headcount, compensation, billable hours, and billable rates. For the first time, we have attempted to size the marketplace, contextualize the ratio of salary to revenue, and help firm leadership gain clarity about their competitive future.

In 2011, law firms employed approximately 2,600 litigation support and eDiscovery professionals, spending $200 million on salaries and realizing $275 million in hourly revenue. 57% of firms anticipate adding staff in 2012, creating 375 positions—a market growth rate of 13.7%"

The survey provides detailed insight into salaries of various positions, and this can certainly prove as a useful resource for anyone employed within the litigation support profession.