Kochhar & Co’s former technology and media law partner Rodney Ryder who started up IP and IT boutique practice Scriboard in April has entered into a strategic alliance with legal process outsourcing (LPO) company Overlegen.

The start-up law firm and the young LPO have entered into a loose alliance, where they aim to refer work to each other and work together where possible.

Scriboard senior partner Ryder said: “It’s a very close alliance which we are trying to develop between them and us – I’ve known [Overlegen director] Vareshvar [Mehta] for a few years and I’ve known him since he set the LPO up.”

“The beautiful thing is, we are not in any way, in any sphere - as far as I can see at present – competing. That makes the alliance even more beautiful. It’s a happy arrangement where we go about our work with a bit of support from them , and they go about with a bit of support from us.”

Ryder explained that while Overlegen would not advise and was not authorized to advise on Indian law, there were several good areas of overlap.

“We’re also impressed with certain processes and the technology they want to develop,” he said. “While they thought they could use our help with respect to some of the patent work especially and contract management and litigation work, we thought that our Indian clients and those who are doing business in India could benefit with their processes to streamline work.”

“One area that we will roll out soon is trademark portfolio management software. We know what our clients requirements are, we have the idea and [Overlegen] have technology and IT people.”

Overlegen business development manager Sandeep Agrawal said: “We are kind of a best friend to each other. He’ll refer whatever legal support work to us and we will refer to him. Plus we will jointly pitch for other work.”

“We have seen law firms opening their own LPO and we thought why not join and utilize each others’ strength,” added Agrawal. Overlegen opened a sales office in Texas in March 2010, around eight months after the company was founded.

Ryder set up Scriboard around two months ago.