2003 WINNER
Graham Shaw (left), Brian Smith (centre) and Kirsten Rawson of Browne Jacobson
Most law firms would probably consider they’d
done well if they managed to get their database
bedded down in a 12-month period.
Browne Jacobson won through as the firm that
had “re-engineered the role of IT within the
practice” – highlighting five major initiatives in
one year. The judges were pleased to see they
also made cost benefit analyses – claiming
impressive results for their matter management
system metrics study.
The firm cited a 100% take up of training and
had a very thorough training programme in
place. The submission also made it abundantly
clear that IT development is led from the top,
which the judges believe to be the biggest
lesson to be learnt.
RUNNER UP
The enthusiasm and confidence of the Wragges IT team and their penchant for internal and client presentations dominated their submission – which reflected their continuous development and promotion of both internal and client-centric technology systems over the years.
Innovative highlights included a new fee prediction system for budgeting, the critical transaction support team IT staff prepared to work all night, alongside the lawyers, during critical deals), the in-house partner IT conference, the client IT conference (where the programme included the firm’s client systems, general IT updates, and promotion of third party panel billing systems).
Altogether an impressive submission and a close second.
3RD PLACE
BLP entered their tailorable extranet service for clients (accessible world wide through a browser), which “had had a very enthusiastic take up by clients” and “is actively supported by fee earners throughout the firm”.
The service supports document imaging – especially popular with real estate clients – as the firm can provide surveyors and letting agents with up to date property detail information.
Property clients are also now able to complete an on-line instruction form from which the BLP team can generate the draft of the initial suite of letting documents. [The system supports the emerging property industry PISCES XML standard. It is interesting that the commercial property world is encouraging or driving the adoption of these standards by lawyers – whereas the courts, litigation clients and their lawyers have done little to develop any standards for their document and information exchanges.]
Deal rooms are built to give clients matter centric views of key documents and access to diary information.
Another new service allows the in-house PSL department to offer and deliver its services to clients through the extranet.
The IT team claim to be able to turn out an apparently entirely bespoke extranet within hours of a request being received.
And yet . .. “despite all the tailoring the most popular options always include the exposure of lawyer diary information in a controlled way”.
A well deserved third place.