Bath-based Stone King Sewell (SKS) – the 170 staff strong practice specialises in legal advice to schools, charities and other not-for-profit institutions – has announced it will be replacing its legacy SOS PMS with Pilgrim LawSoft's full practice management suite, including financial management, document management, CRM and case management (that latter replacing legacy LexisNexis Visualfiles SolCase software).
Colin Kennedy, Pilgrim's COO, commented "We are experiencing an exceptionally strong period of growth. SKS and firms like them recognise the unique proposition Pilgrim has in providing a mature, advanced solution from a well run and customer focussed business."
SKS managing partner Steven Greenwood said "We are very impressed with Pilgrim and are looking forward to meeting the challenges we face with the help of their excellent product and service. We do not want the concerns two databases bring; we wanted a true single database, Microsoft based solution, and we want to continue to develop a relationship with a supplier that we enjoy working with.”
NB The Pilgrim Stone King Sewell win from SOS should not be confused with last Thursday's announcement that Stones Solicitors (also in the South-West) had selected SOS to replace its legacy PMS.
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Sunday, May 30
Now Pilgrim take an SOS + Lexis site
by
Charles Christian
on Sun 30 May 2010 14:20 BST
Friday, May 28
LSSA members discuss ABS
by
Charles Christian
on Fri 28 May 2010 09:00 BST
Well we thought Hell would freeze over first but here's a report that features IRIS and TikitTFB in the same story and doesn't involve them trying to poach each other's users...
"With legislation supporting Alternative Business Structures (ABS) due to come into effect in 2011, change is in the air for the UK legal services sector," says Dominic Cullis, Chairman of the Legal Software Suppliers Association. "These modifications to the Legal Services Act are already attracting attention from outside the industry, as ABS will allow non-lawyer organisations to provide legal services to the general public for the first time, and will therefore allow much wider options in how lawyers and non-lawyers can share the management and control of a business which provides reserved legal services to the public." As such, next year's launch of ABS is already proving to be controversial, as it will allow external investment and ownership of law firms for the first time. Firms who decide to take this route and accept third-party investment (or are indeed purchased), will no doubt face a number of new challenges. But what about traditional high street firms who simply want to retain their current model? Will the arrival of ABS have any effect on them? "The Legal Services Act is changing the way many lawyers do business," says Catherine Bailey, Head of Marketing at IRIS Legal Solutions, a legal software supplier and member of the LSSA. "Given that the whole ethos surrounding the Legal Services Act is to put the consumer at the heart of the operation, there is no doubt that we will see an industry-wide move towards more 'client-centric' operations. As part of this shift to a more client-focused approach, many firms are feeling pressured to offer ever-greater service for ever-lower fees. As a result, industry analysts have begun to ponder whether the kind of customer "self-service" that has permeated the financial services sector will come to the legal market, as well. "Brutally put, once some of the larger players enter the market, traditional law firms will be asked to deliver more for less, and so it's fair to say that 'self-service', at least to some degree, will be an essential strategy to win business and manage cost," according to Catherine Bailey. "The Legal Services Commission's schemes will continue to drive the market towards value-based pricing, which means that there will be a commercial need to use technology to automate as much of the legal process as possible in order to preserve margins. Automated case, practice and chambers management systems will therefore be essential for legal services providers, with web-enabled solutions and other products that allow remote access likely to be the most sought after." In the UK, however, clients have been very slow in obtaining legal advice via media such as the Internet, according to Mark Garnish, Business Development Director at TikitTFB, another LSSA member and legal software supplier. "Although this ideology is beginning to change, any legal ABS who wants to do business via any form of ‘self-service’ (whether that be over the Internet or via touch screens in a shop), will have to gain consumer confidence in the first instance," he says. "In order for this shift to gain any real momentum, however, a large and trusted corporate would probably need to pave the way for such services." One of the largest changes that ABS will bring is the availability of legal services from a wider ‘point of purchase’, such as inside a supermarket. Legal services from providers like these are more likely to be available out of office hours, and therefore perceived as offering greater convenience for consumers. "Traditional high street firms will definitely need to adapt to a whole new generation of open-all-hours legal services," says Mark Garnish. "However, provided they look carefully at their practices and can develop and promote their own specialised services, they can still thrive. This shake up will be radical, yes, but I am confident that law firms will adapt." One of the most ubiquitous media buzzwords surrounding ABS relates to the arrival of "TescoLaw", a term sparked by the possibility that a prominent law firm could, indeed, be bought by the likes of Tesco. Clearly, this would raise some operational – and technological – challenges for Tesco, but what about for the firm being purchased, as well as for the developers of legal software? "Certainly an organisation such as Tesco would look long and hard at the sort of software being used to manage caseloads," says Darren Gower, Marketing Manager at Eclipse Legal, another LSSA member. "They will want to see flexible systems that can be managed and tailored 'on the fly' without the need for specialist knowledge of niche technologies and systems. As such, case and matter management software that has a good track record of being used in commercial organisations, not just law firms, would probably have a distinct advantage in that regard." "In actual fact, if a huge conglomerate such as Tesco was to enter into this market, it is likely that its IT Department would write its own bespoke system," Mark Garnish adds. "However, as this would be a huge undertaking, it is also very likely that it would look to some outside assistance from suppliers who currently write such systems for extremely large global legal practices, taking into account the myriad of multi-discipline and multi-regulatory requirements which would need to be considered." With the arrival of ABS, most industry analysts are expecting to see a rise in complete "end-to-end" services for consumers, whereby law firms partner with accountants, insurers, and banks in order to provide a single seamless service for their customers. As a result, law firms will not only need the ability to interface quickly with one another, but also with anyone else in the value chain. "Clients will increasingly expect, and to a certain extent demand, a complete end-to-end service in which firms and chambers form partnerships with players such as accountants, insurers, banks and other retail brands," says IRIS Legal's Catherine Bailey. "It therefore follows that staff will need the ability to access real-time data instantly from anywhere in the world." Although technology can certainly support these developments, there may well be questions as to potential conflicts of interest. Already, concerns have been expressed with regard to the ‘relaxation of the rules’ which could allow ownership of law firms to fall into ‘less desirable hands’, a worrying prospect which has already been dubbed Maxwell Law. Even more worrying would be a situation in which a commercial ABS puts pressure on the Head of Legal Practice to consider the business’ interests as much (or even above) as the client's, according to Mark Garnish. "For example, an ABS formed with a bank may be under pressure to sell financial services to a client where a financial settlement is reached through the legal action," he explains. "To address potential conflicts like these, tight regulation will be essential, but it is already understood that an ABS could be refused on grounds of an adverse impact on access to justice." Because ABS legislation will allow greater competition in service delivery and new ways of meeting consumer demand for legal services, traditional law firms will need to take action in order to stand out in this competitive new market. "New players in this market will expect to see efficient, customisable case and matter management systems, and they will not expect these elements to be bolt-ons or afterthoughts," says Darren Gower from Eclipse Legal. "As a result, the focus may well shift from simply counting beans (traditional legal accounts software) to making more beans (fully integrated case/ matter management systems). In any case, I think there will be a greater emphasis on 'front-end' benefits for staff and fee earners. The days of hard to learn, inflexible, and difficult to use systems will rapidly come to an end." As a result of changes like these, many feel that traditional law firms will need to "get their houses in order" to compete with ABS. After all, the new breed of ABS law firm will be, by its very nature, marketing and IT savvy. A more commercial approach will therefore need to be taken, and technology will be one key area where changes will need to be made. According to Darren Gower, a serious focus on both service delivery and cost-cutting will be essential as competition heats up. "Traditional law firms will clearly need to embrace more automation and 'trim the fat' from their work processes, but they will also need to consider services like online case tracking and text messaging to keep clients informed and make them feel valued," he says. As with any service industry, it will always be necessary for firms to review and consider their services regularly, and to pay attention to what their competitors are doing. The difference with ABS, however, is that the competition may not necessarily be local. Purely legal practices, such as the traditional high street solicitor, will therefore need to promote their ability to offer a highly personalised, traditional service that can only be obtained from a long-established practice whose solicitors and fee-earners are all fully trained lawyers. "Firms need to reinforce this message, and to make it very clear that they can offer their clients a full service option," says Mark Garnish. "Although many firms already do this already, others may get caught out if they allow themselves to be complacent in this regard." "In this changing market, Chambers and law firms will need to work collaboratively if they are to reduce clients' costs whilst still retaining high levels of client care," adds IRIS Legal's Catherine Bailey. "They will need to optimise the value of their services and possibly look to include value-added content where appropriate in order to enrich the client experience. Finally they will need to track and monitor their clients' behaviour in order to build an accurate profile of their behaviour and needs. Harnessing these profiles will then give them the ability to market other services that might be appropriate to that particular client. This kind of pro-active marketing will be essential for building new revenue streams and retaining loyal clients in what is likely to be a very competitive marketplace." Thursday, May 27
Stones to rollout SOS
by
Charles Christian
on Thu 27 May 2010 12:31 BST
South West law firm Stones Solicitors LLP has selected SOS Connect integrated case and practice management software from Bath-based Solicitors Own Software (SOS). SOS Connect, which will be rolled out to 115 users across its Exeter and Okehampton offices is part of a £250,000 investment which has already seen the introduction of server virtualisation and integration with outsourced back office services.
The firm's Chief Operating Officer Adrian Richards said: “Stones reacted very quickly at the first signs of recession by rationalising offices and then adopting a new business strategy. The focus was on achieving agility to adapt the business in response to pressures the legal market will feel from the consequences of the Legal Services Act. We recognised the need for very slick IT systems to maximise efficiency”. The firm undertook a review of several of the leading legal software products and ultimately selected SOS. “We were impressed by the functionality of the software and in particular the knowledge demonstrated by the project team. It was clear to us that it could be instrumental in helping us meet our need to make fundamental changes to our operating practices that formed an essential part of our strategic plan,” said Richards. “We liked the look and feel of the product and felt comfortable about developing a long-term relationship with SOS, which is very important to us.” The integration with SOS Connect will enhance further the work that has already been undertaken in streamlining the back office procedures as well as the development of workflows and standardised business process. As Richards continues: “SOS Connect will allow our lawyers to be lawyers, by taking away routine administration and letting them concentrate on providing legal advice but without taking away their individuality. Above all clients want value for money. SOS Connect will assist us in making us attractive to clients on both pricing and efficiency in service delivery.” SOS Connect is expected to go live for document, case, matter and email management, time recording, billing and legal accounts, marketing and business reporting in the autumn of this year. (Stones have declined to identify the legacy systems they are replacing – and they are not listed in the Insider archives.) Wednesday, May 26
Another Anglo-US merger on the horizon ?
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 26 May 2010 16:08 BST
Lovells have been lawfully wedded to Hogan Hartson for the best part of a month and now there are reports that Denton Wilde (No.40 on the Insider 250 list) are in merger talks with Chicago-based Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal (No.59 in the AmLaw 200 rankings). Both firms run Elite so that's one less problem to worry about.
May issue Legal Technology Insider (UK & EMEA) out now
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 26 May 2010 13:43 BST
The May issue of the Legal Technology Insider (UK & EMEA edition) newsletter is out now. The digital edition has already landed on desktops and print edition is making its way to you as fast as the Royal Mail can manage.
Top stories in our 12 page edition include: why the MoJ's RTA portal is rubbish + why the English Law Society is rubbish, has lost the plot on technology and should call it a day + why Sharepoint is not rubbish and is going to takeover the world (OK, we'd made the last one up). Plus shed loads of new product launches and new order deals that all you people who are too tight to pay the subscription are going to miss out on reading. The 10 years ago section is a classic this time as it features the collapse of the Elite + CMS acquisition talks amid revelations that the soon-to-be ex-CEO of Solution 6 had a conviction for "possession of between 50 and 200 pounds of marijuana". Apparently the drugs were for social and recreational use. Must have been a good party or a very large joint.
UK Claims Technology Awards – men in bow-ties win prizes
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 26 May 2010 10:51 BST
 For reasons far too boring to go into (although the PR agency did take a week to get the results over to us – most have been a very good party) here – belatedly – are the results of the inaugural Claims Technology Awards which organised by Barker Brooks Media in association with Eclipse Proclaim and took place at the Manchester Lowry Hotel earlier this month. The winners were: • Most Innovative use of Software (Legal) - Abney Garsden McDonald (for their Abuse case type) • Most Innovative use of Software (Insurer) - ARAG Legal Services (for their Gateway system) • Most Innovative use of Software (Claims Management Company) - Merlin Claims (for their Xactware system) • Most Innovative use of Software (Medical Agency) - Premex Services (for their Vu case handling system) • Client Care Award - Questgates (for their QGV system) • Green Initiative - 80e • Rising Star - Robert Illidge of Ralli Solicitors • Outstanding Team - The Underwriting & Claims Team, ARAG Legal Services • Outstanding Individual - Heather Batey of Reach Chairman of the judging panel, Joe Pendle of ISO, commented: “IT systems are becoming increasingly important in the insurance and claims industries, and the way they are implemented and managed makes an enormous difference to the performance of a business, and its ability to perform well for its clients and claimants. The high quality of nominations we have received is testament to the outstanding work being done by people and teams within these organizations.” The panel of judges comprised: Nicholas Bevan of Enable Law Limited, Don Clarke of Keoghs, Jonathan Gulliford of Co-Op Legal Services, Paul Kitson of Russell Jones & Walker, Alan Nesbit of the Association of Regulated Claims Management Companies (ARC), Joe Pendle of Insurance Services Office (ISO), Eddie Phillips of Equity Redstar, Rob Rowe of Central Law Training and Andrew Twambley of Amelans and InjuryLawyers4U. The headline sponsor of the awards was Eclipse Legal Systems. Tuesday, May 25
DMS vendors give and receive prizes
by
Charles Christian
on Tue 25 May 2010 14:59 BST
Two vendor awards to report...
• Open Text Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a 2010 SAP Pinnacle Award in the category Global Software Solutions Partner of the Year. Pinnacle Awards are granted to leading SAP partners that have excelled in enhancing the customer experience, addressing critical issues such as accelerating co-innovation and improving return on investment. Winners were selected based on over 230 nominations in 27 categories received from partners and SAP employees. • At the recent worldwide partner conference in Chicago, Tikit were awarded the EMEA Partner of the Year by Autonomy iManage. This continues Autonomy’s recognition of Tikit as their top partner stretching back to the awards starting in 2004. The award is given to the Autonomy iManage partner who consistently achieves excellence in selling, implementing and supporting the WorkSite family of products in Europe.
New survey into time recording
by
Charles Christian
on Tue 25 May 2010 10:20 BST
Smart WebParts, in conjunction with US consultancy Adam Smith Esq have prepared a short survey on law firm timekeeping. Here's the link to the survey and we hope to publish the results on the blog, later this summer.
www.surveymonkey.com/s/PVJGLZQ Monday, May 24
Tikit brings back the filenote for DMS users
by
Charles Christian
on Mon 24 May 2010 11:48 BST
The UK-based Tikit Group has added to its portfolio inhouse developed software with the launch of Tikit Filenote, a new application to make life easier for Autonomy iManage DMS users.
When law firms stored all their documents in paper files, the cover sheet attached to the front of the file or notes scribbled on the front cover recorded useful information about the file. These notes varied but usually included key details of the matter including the main contacts involved, telephone numbers and files access details etc. This gave lawyers who were involved with the matter a simple way to quickly understand the current standing of the matter. The move to electronic document storage has brought a number of benefits but one area which hasn’t survived the transition from paper file to electronic version is the file cover sheet. Tikit FileNote provides a solution to this by allowing an electronic version of these details, which can be accessed and updated using Outlook. Tikit FileNote is able to offer an instant summary of a matter’s status to anyone who has security access including: file notes, key dates, matter activity and a graphical view of workspace security. Mark Garnish, Head of Development at Tikit said “We believe that FileNote is an important addition to the functionality offered by Autonomy iManage. I am particularly pleased because it has been designed following ideas and contributions from clients. I am also excited about the opportunities for further expansion of FileNote including financial, billing and contacts information. All of the FileNote connectors have been written as Web Parts so they can be used in firm’s intranets and SharePoint portals as well”. Four firms – delivering a total of over 4000 users between them – have already signed up to implement FileNote. The first firm to go public is Taylor Wessing, IT director Tim Hyman commented “iManage provides a robust and functional electronic repository for our matter filing. Whilst the filing and search tools work well, our lawyers identified a number of functions that haven’t quite made the transition from the paper file to the e-file. With Tikit FileNote we are able to plug some of those gaps utilising the white space currently associated with a matter workspace. Tikit has effectively bought the old file cover sheet back to life, creating an obvious home for previously hidden key matter information.”
SOS Virtual Practices picks up another virtual law firm
by
Charles Christian
on Mon 24 May 2010 09:51 BST
London-based, new start-up niche property practice Matrix Legal has turned to Virtual Practices for hosted legal case management software and accounting services accessed over the internet.
Already familiar with SOS Connect from his previous firm, Matrix founder Tariq Mubarak understoodusing the software as a service through Virtual Practices would avoid a heavy, upfront investment in IT. Although he started his IT evaluation with a demonstration of Virtual Practices, he also surveyed other case management options in the market, including IRIS hosted services. The selection period lasted several months before returning to Virtual Practices for a reminder demonstration. “Virtual Practices was very appealing,” he explained, “as the flexibility it delivers fits in with my ‘almost’ virtual business model. We also don’t need to worry about business continuity or disaster recovery as in the event of a problem we would be back in business within hours, rather than days or weeks.” Matrix Legal began using the software service for case management in January 2010 and three months later at the beginning of the financial year also opted for Virtual Practices’ legal cashiering on-line service which takes care of the accounts and complies with all statutory regulations. “I went live with case management within two weeks,” said Tariq Mubarak. “The support, overall service and response to queries has been very prompt. It is nice to have a first line of protection especially in terms of keeping the accounts correct and keeping abreast of changes to the rules. Having that knowledge to fall back on is like having your own accounts department.” |
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