RESEARCH
2021 ACC Benchmark Survey
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Between March and May 2021, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and Major, Lindsey & Africa conducted the 2021 Law Department Benchmarking Survey. The survey had a total of 493 legal departments in 24 industries in 30 countries participate. The Law Department Management Benchmarking Report provides a wealth of data for peer comparisons and benchmarking across a variety of metrics in order to assess performance, results, and efficiency.
The report looks at legal department structure, work allocation, law firm usage, and staffing, spending, and diversity metrics. Some of the findings show:
- Just 29 percent of companies that track internal diversity – and of those that do, 47 percent have a formal strategy to improve in this area.
- Despite the growing popularity of ALSPs, just 12% of companies increased their usage of these providers in 2020.
- Legal departments in small organizations record a median total legal spend of US $1.2 million, while those in mid-sized organizations report a value of US $8.4 million, and larger legal departments report a median of US $64 million in total legal spend.
- In 80 percent of departments, the CLO reports directly to the organization’s chief executive officer. In 92 percent of companies with over $10 billion in revenue, CLOs reported directly to the CEO.
