ACC / Major Lindsey & Africa: 53% Inside, 47% Outside Spend Split Holds Steady
The ACC and Major, Lindsey & Africa survey found the inside/outside counsel spend distribution has remained roughly the same: 53% of total legal spend going to internal costs, 47% to outside costs. Median outside counsel spend is $1.8M annually; for companies in the $1B–$5B revenue range, total legal spend hits a median of $6M with ~48% going external; top-quartile departments are at $11.2M or mor
BY FRONTIER DESK · JULY 28, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
The ACC and Major, Lindsey & Africa survey found the inside/outside counsel spend distribution has remained roughly the same: 53% of total legal spend going to internal costs, 47% to outside costs. Median outside counsel spend is $1.8M annually; for companies in the $1B–$5B revenue range, total legal spend hits a median of $6M with ~48% going external; top-quartile departments are at $11.2M or more in outside counsel spend alone. The 53/47 split stability suggests the insourcing trend — despite significant in-house growth and AI-enabled triage — has not materially shifted the structural proportion of spend going outside. For BD teams, the $1.8M median figure and the $11.2M top-quartile figure define the target market for outside counsel relationships at different client scales: the top quartile is where major client relationship investment generates the best return.